Nonsense. I see bikers ride recklessly in NYC every day, and now there are a ton more than a couple of years ago.
They ride on narrow streets when there’s a cross street with a bike lane 2 blocks away, ride in the wrong direction, constantly jump stop lights, weave in traffic, etc.
Why are we spending all this money trying to squeeze in bike lanes which has no commuter value? Stop the madness, and start fining bikers!
42
If you were to ask any random driver, if they consider themself a safe driver, every one will claim they are. We all think its the other drivers who are careless, drive too fast, and don't follow the rules.
10
Make certain small streets bike corridors and gets bikes of of streets with motor vehicles.
Stop this nonsense of moving cars from the curbs to create bike lanes and give back the streets to parking cars instead of Citi bikes.
In the winter months bike traffic declines but drivers are still force to follow the rules. Vehicles pay high fees to the state and city but the bike people get everything for free. Closing the parks to cars forces the cars onto the streets creating more congestion.
Bikers should have licenses and insurance just like motorists.
18
@MrL Exactly backwards. More car-free, death-free, pollution-free routes. And free street parking is a huge car subsidy and must end.
66
"There were also three fatal crashes that did not involve a vehicle, in which a pedestrian and cyclist collided."
What is a bike if not a vehicle?
16
@Ken Belcher a bike is essentially a pedestrian...which is why biking in the street in NYC is insane....
11
There needs to be space between cars and the bike lane. I have been doored twice in the west village while cycling in a bike lane by passengers leaving a Lyft/Uber or a yellow taxi. The last time required a trip to the emergency room, I await the bill.
I didn't report either incident as this article shows there is no point. Drivers and passengers causing accidents through negligence need to face real consequences.
I no longer recommend people to cycle.
24
To ride a bike on the streets of NYC is just insane.
34
Can someone explain why a bicyclist in NYC is expected to follow the same set of road rules as motor vehicle?
There are other US cities where bikes follow a different set of laws, one example is the treating of all stop signals as stop signs for bikes. Approach a red light and stop, but continue through intersection after stopping and checking for cross traffic and peds. On my bike in NYC I gave the 'act like a motorcycle' a shot. In Brooklyn and queens a bit and it felt extremely dangerous. Cars didn't expect me in their turn lanes, left turn especially, and if I didn't get ahead of traffic at red lights it felt really dangerous. My suggestion is borrow infrastructure design from where it works, paris looks like they got it down pretty well. But also a missing piece to this issue is public education, public campaigns explaining to people the rules and expected behavior, over and over. Treating bikes like cars doesn't make much sense for safety and it's not practical.
18
@Robert I'm all for a separate set of rules for bikes, and so long as they've been proven to still protect pedestrians. Problem right now is, most cyclists I observe follow no rules (i.e., the current traffic laws for cars, as well as the laws that cyclists aren't supposed to go the wrong way down streets, ride on the sidewalk etc.). All of this makes for resentment of cyclists in general, especially because so many of us on the pedestrian side have had bad encounters with such cyclists.
But if we were to put a formal set of cyclist-specific rules in place, I'd be all for it. Until such time, cyclists shouldn't just cherry-pick which existing traffic laws they will/will not or should/should not follow. That only creates chaos and resentment. In the meantime, this cyclist behaves like a driver. No riding on the sidewalk, no riding against traffic and I stop at all red lights.
33
I wish there was a way to:
a) Eliminate the need for police to pull over cars to issue speeding tickets. I am not sure if the technology exists, but it would be great if police could remotely ticket drivers for speeding using license plates and the speedometers and cameras that police have in their cars (as evidence);
b) Issue mandatory license plates for all bicycles and electric bikes owned by adult riders, so that we could do the same ticketing to cyclists who speed and engage in reckless behavior (yes, that includes the delivery boys who ride their electric bikes on pedestrian-only sidewalks, sorry bro);
c) Automatically withdraw ticket fines from bank accounts based on license plates. Plus, fines would be income-based like they do in Finland (the corona virus will kill us before that ever happens in NYC).
These ideas would not eliminate accidents but would serve as a preventative solution to force drivers/riders to slow down and obey the traffic law.
People do not like parting with their hard-earned cash in uber-expensive New York City.
8
@Mean reds Regarding suggestion a), while it's hard for lay people to grab the license # of a speeding car, we are however, capable of noting the licenses of other cars which, by breaking various other laws, create dangerous street conditions.
I've begun daily posts on social media using the hashtag of #FeaturedA$$holeDriver', where I write out the offending drivers lic #, and I tag the various inept local groups whose jobs' it is to ensure our streets are safe, and that residents can get from Point A to B in as efficient a manner as possible.
Thankfully, I've never been at a loss to find a new driver to feature, each day. ;-)
https://twitter.com/i/status/1234260236837556224
6
@Mean reds No. Making the fine automatic removes the pain of paying.
Instead of five strikes, three. If you take other people’s lives into your own hands, you lose your driving privileges.
Period.
And maybe after we get the number of people murdered by cars into the low 20’s each year, then we can crack down on the bikes that kill one or two.
11
Of course the technology exists. Many Europan countries use it. Not stopping cars for speeding, but giving them tickets via photo evidence to the car registrant would also stop all the police shootings that occur when people get pulled over for this and stuff gets out of control..
11
This is a serious problem in Denver also. Lots of hit and runs which is even worse. I walk downtown daily and I have to remain vigilant or I would be the next victim. People texting or talking on their phone as they turn right on a red light, too distracted to notice the pedestrian walking on a green light in the crosswalk. Or not even noticing pedestrians as they run red lights. This is a national problem. Yes pedestrians also are to blame as they walk across intersections looking down at their phones, cyclists zoom through intersections on red lights. But none of these transgressions will kill someone. A large SUV will. Huge fines, licenses revoked might be a good start.
15
Thank you for calling attention to this. We're dying out here.
14
I think the design of SUV's and those stupid trucks everyone has are absolutely impossible to see out of, particularly on the turns..
13
@grace thorsen Precisely. These particular vehicles also lend themselves, and their drivers, to a certain new-found mentality of road warrior, bada$$, etc. These vehicles (at least, in my NYC neighborhood) are also often outfitted with military-style grilles, monster-truck tires, tinted windows, etc. Namely, a more deadly combination, and outright threatening to nearby pedestrians and cyclists.
Clearly, similar to the NRA, the auto industry and its rabid, undying fans who will fight to the death (you'll take my steering wheel out of my cold, dead hands) hold our local politicians hostage. It's patently obvious that the entire planet, and in particular dense cities with vast public transit systems such as NYC, should be moving away from cars. Instead, we see more cars, and ever larger ones at that.
It's completely insane, and out of control. As a pedestrian and cyclist, I often fantasize and wonder if I might one day leave the US entirely....maybe check out some of those lovely Scandinavian countries...
22
Make it an automatic felony charge and widely publicize offenders and it will end
18
I'd bet the percentage of "distracted" drivers is way higher. People who hit cyclists probably won't admit they were texting or watching a video. I always assume every driver is a drunken teenager texting and not paying attention. Maybe some felony charges need to be leveled at these drivers. Texting and driving would be up there with DUI if it was up to me.
22
If you are piloting the two-ton machine, the burden is on you to be aware of your surroundings, and be responsible for the consequences when you don't. Full stop.
If I was throwing a brick down the sidewalk and "accidentally" hit someone, I'd be charged with assault. But for some reason, hitting someone with an SUV is different?
43
The problem is the system is designed to blame drivers. For example, if a car pulls out of a spot and is hit by an oncoming car, it is usually the oncoming cars fault. But if an on coming cyclist hits a door a driver opened it is assumed to be the fault of the parked car.
Similarly, drivers are expected to yield to pedestrians, so if a pedestrian is hit by a car turning into the intersection it is assumed to be the driver’s fault, even if they miscommunicated, or the cyclist came from behind the car and darted in front.
If a cyclist slips on some black ice, and the car was exceeding the speed limit, it is assumed to be the driver’s fault, even though the cyclist slipped.
I am a cyclist and pedestrian much more often than I am a driver, but I say that we need to a great a triad Rather than a pyrimand of responsibility.
9
@Neil This is exactly what is covered by the last paragraph in the article. If you are the one driving a 3 ton machine, it is your responsibility to be more careful than a pedestrian or cyclist.
And yes, in all 3 cases, it is the driver's fault.
Opening a door into the path of cyclists already riding in the path is called dooring and it is a ticketable offense. Look before opening the door.
Turning cars are required to yield to pedestrians already in the crosswalk or waiting to cross. Drivers often bully them by tailgating the turning car in front of them. Pedestrians then trying to assert their right of way are then categorized as "darting" into the crosswalk.
A cyclist slipping on black ice is not the driver's fault, but the speed limit is designed to minimize the injury in a collision. A speeding car can turn what would have been a relatively minor injury into a major injury or even death. The speed limit in NYC is 25mph for a reason.
25
@Neil "....But if an on coming cyclist hits a door a driver opened it is assumed to be the fault of the parked car."
Um, that's precisely right. And as it should be. No cyclist would purposefully plow into an Open Car Door. So the scenario of a cyclist hitting an Open Car Door could only occur under one condition: the driver opened their door without first making sure that neither another car nor cyclist was approaching their car from the back. So 'yes', completely and irrefutably the driver's fault.
About 2 years ago I was riding my bike when a young driver opened her car door without looking. I was already fast approaching the backside of her car when she suddenly flung her door open. I had to swerve my bike out towards the middle of the road (thankfully there was no other traffic) or else I would have directly hit her door and likely been propelled over door door onto the pavement. As it was, I still fell off my bike, into the middle of the street.
The rider came over 'expressing her concern', and all the while...with one hand, she continued to ....Hold her Cellphone up to her Ear, apparently being mid-conversation with someone else on the other end (likely, a call that had commenced while she was In her vehicle...). Naturally, I was so shaken up, that I didn't consider taking down her name or license etc., though I did ask her if she had even looked before opening her door (she replied that she'd not...) to which I simply snapped 'next time you need to look!'
15
@Mrunal "Turning cars are required to yield to pedestrians already in the crosswalk or waiting to cross. Drivers often bully them by tailgating the turning car in front of them. "
Yup. A big problem indeed. Drivers are way too impatient, at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. Far too many NYCers sigh 'well...that's just how it is here.' Wrong. Things can change. And it's up to us to make that change, which starts with our mentality, and our resigned acceptance of this as being the norm. There's nothing normal about it. Nothing 'ok' about it. It needs to change.
22
Other countries give more square footage to people walking and biking than the US. Having shared bike/walking lanes separated from moving cars by a line of parked cars, trees and streetlamps makes them much safer, and thus they get much more use.
Why the US persists in putting bike lanes between parked and moving cars, when putting the parked cars between fragile people and moving cars has never made sense to me.
Bicycles are much more like pedestrians than cars.
14
@DataDrivenFP In Seattle, they have a number of streets where the bike lane is between the curb and the parked. As a daily, rain or shine commuter, I would say its different not better.
David
1
After twenty-five years as a pedestrian and cyclist in NYC I now also drive a car. Take from these observations what you will.
1) If I had a dime for every time a driver behind me started beeping while I'm stopped to let pedestrians through a crosswalk or passed me when slowing down on a side street to accommodate a cyclist I'd be driving a Tesla. Cars can get the better of your brain really easily as all the visual cues are telling you to just go go go, because streets are designed specifically for you to do that. And the lack of enforcement for small infractions is all the brain needs to convince it that you aren't doing anything wrong. A human brain in a car on a contemporary city street is a well-designed death vector for everyone else. A combination of automated enforcement and street redesign are the only solutions. Because the brain is a stubborn thing. And it's easily fooled.
2) For the first ten years that I rode a bike in NYC I did not obey the traffic laws and no one I knew who rode a bike did either. I started obeying the traffic laws on my bike after getting a couple of tickets in short order about five years ago. It was the tickets that got me to do it, and I still thought it was completely unnecessary. Only after a few months of waiting at red lights and stopping at stop signs and watching other cyclists as they whizzed by did I begin to see how bad it all was. Because the brain is a stubborn thing. And it's easily fooled.
32
@jsomoya Thank you, thank you, thank you, especially with your being both a driver and a cyclist, and acknowledging the bad behaviors of both.
I'm a pedestrian and a law-abiding cyclist, and scofflaw cyclists only make my life as a cyclist more difficult, because 1) cyclists, and cycling as a valid form of transit, get little respect, precisely because most cyclists do not respect themselves on the traffic laws and 2) certain drivers have a palpable disdain for cyclists - partly due to resentment of their losing lanes and parking spots to bikes, and partly due to scofflaw cyclists not being held to traffic laws. The last thing I want or need as a cyclist, are angry, anti-cyclist drivers in my midst. It's terrifying. And in many ways, I think cyclists are more vulnerable than pedestrians. When I think of myself on my own two feet, or higher off the ground on two wheels, I feel far more vulnerable at the thought of a vehicle coming at me, and my having to quickly react. IMHO it's easier to quickly change/halt one's direction on foot, than it is on a bike, and without causing harm to yourself in the process.
12
@Lisa
See cyclist want bike lanes etc. and to be treated as a legit form of transit.
But when we start talking about helmets and licenses.
It "Oh No"...sorry can't have it both ways.
Can run lights, ride on the street and then get hit by a car and its all the drivers fault.
8
@David As a cyclist, I agree that cyclists should be licensed and forced to wear helmets.
10
Thank you for this well reported article that puts solid data behind my suspicions that the city has gotten more and more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists in the last five years.
I think TNCs like Uber bear some responsibility for putting tens of thousands of cash strapped and desperate drivers on the road. That said, the city is failing it’s citizens on multiple fronts, both by always cowing to reactionary local interests who will oppose every bike lane and safety improvement in their neighborhood and by leaving enforcement for hazardous and illegal driving up to the NYPD. Anybody who has experienced the lack of response or downright hostility NYPD shows to non-drivers knows the department has no interest in policing drivers for their behavior.
6
I've gotten complaints for 'driving to slow' from my passengers who were running late and blame me.
Also, bikers seem to feel free to run stop signs.
But, as a biker cars just dont seem to see bikes, and i've been intentionally run off the road by autos.
We need bike lanes and respect for rules of the road.
I'd really like to see cars banned from midtown, and replaced by self driving electric shuttles: paging Elon musk
7
@Mike k Berlin, which doesn't even have half the population of NYC, is considering banning SUVs. If Berlin is considering this, then surely a city as dense as NYC should be doing so. These massive vehicles have no place being in a city such as NYC. Sure, it's now become 'normalized', but there is nothing remotely normal about it.
11
I was knocked off my bicycle by a hit-and-run driver wearing a USPS uniform. She careened around a corner, hit me, stopped to check her car for dents and sped away. I filed a police report and a witness sent a videotape from his car's GoPro, which I also shared with the police. Yet the accident does not appear in the City's searchable databases. When I checked in with the police, at the request of my insurance company, I was told there was no record of the report and in any case they have more important things to handle.
So now I am skeptical that the police are accurately tracking incidents that don't result in serious injury.
28
People don't just drive anymore. How truly important is it to answer that text or check email or fb on your phone? I was recently hit by a car while doing my exercise walk in broad daylight while crossing the street in the crosswalk. I was lucky not to be killed, but it's almost 6 mos now trying to get back to my normal routine after fractures in my knee and pelvis and multiple abrasions all over my body. Doc said it will probably be a year before I can exercise walk the way I used to. Driver said he didn't see me. I guess it was because something was just more important to him than looking at the road in front if him!
16
I just don’t think it will happen, but when thinking about these infrastructure projects that are going to revive the economy, no small part of them should be dedicated to increasing bicycle safety on all roads, especially in the cities. Along with this we should decrease automobile use by increasing public transportation options. Amsterdam and Vienna are great examples of getting people out of cars for day to day transport. As I write this though, I know it is a pipe dream, as politicians such as Mr. Borelli, who thinks 25 mph is too slow for a residential area, and even Bill de Blasio, who touts himself as a “motorist” and is chauffeured back and forth from his gym, espouse 1920’s attitudes giving cars free reign over all else.
7
One only has to walk a few streets in NYC to understand that it’s mostly drivers who cause the issue. There hardly ever a crossing where a car/truck doesn’t go through after the signal has changed, barely a turn where pedestrians can safely assume their priority etc. As long as there is no real enforcement of rules, pedestrians will continue to come second.
The second problem is the combination of electric bikes and bike lanes. Increasingly it is impossible to cross streets with bike lanes without having to look both ways (sic! So much for the benefit of one-way streets) first to make that there isn’t an electric bike approaching silently and at high speed from either direction. Again, lack of rules enforcement just about guarantees that this will become another source of avoidable deaths.
14
The north stretch of busy Central Park West is a glaring example of the City’s lack of concern. Newly paved last fall, DOT failed to paint stop lines and crosswalks at intersections along the entire stretch. It is just block after block of black, unmarked pavement. They are likely waiting for the installation of the new northbound bike lane. Result: drivers fly through red lights - especially at night, even when pedestrians are trying to cross with the light, which drivers don’t seem to see. I have had many close calls and see it happening every night. Cars are always parked in the unmarked crosswalk area blocking safe passage for pedestrians. Zero Vision is a better description. Brilliant work by the City, and it is amazing no one has been killed.
10
As with the case of Ms. Moses drivers rarely face criminal charges when they hit pedestrians and bike riders. This must change. Every instance of a motor vehicle making contact with a pedestrians or bike rider must routinely result in an arrest for some form of reckless endangerment. Anyone in the streets knows that evident driver stress, anger and frustration constitute a constant clear and present danger that can kill or maim us at any time in this city famed for walking and, increasingly, biking. Any and all traffic measures that can be brought to bear to hem in motor vehicle behavior not subject to federal or state approval should be instituted at once. Drivers can benefit as well. Daily rush hour delays and standstills on the roads due to crashes and flipped over vehicles would benefit from a strictly enforced 35 mile an hour rush hour speed limit on all roads and highways within a suitable radius.
8
@Edwin I was making a left turn on a green light and stopped to let a pedestrian cross. A cyclist coming the other way ran the light and hit my stopped car in the rear.
You think I should be arrested because he ran a light?
10
The reason why more cyclists are dying is that there are more cyclists. If we had the same number of cyclists that we had in 2005, there would be many cyclist deaths and serious accidents (although the death/serious accident rate would probably be higher because of the lack of bike lanes).
Everyone needs to have a basic understanding of statistics.
10
@Erik Indeed, everyone needs to have a basic understanding of statistics.
So because we have more cyclists means that, naturally, more of them are going to be hit by vehicles? Nothing else to explain the increase...it's simply because they are 'more cyclists'?
We don't think the abhorrent 'street design' could be a factor? Or the fact that your average 'vehicle' now has a larger mass, weight, a higher front end, and an elevated driver's seat which means the driver's field of vision is further down the road...that they are less likely to see what's right in front of or below their massive grille? We don't think any of that could be a factor?
2
Every.Single.Day when I cross 96th and Broadway cars on their way to NJ run red lights ... sometimes by 4-5 seconds.
The cops do nothing. I've seen them parked at that corner watching it happen.
These drivers present a greater risk to community safety than people selling illegal cigarettes or selling donuts on the subway platform.
21
In over 1/3 of the cases, no cause was cited.
How does a reporter write a statistically-based article without investigating this aspect of the problem?
Has this percentage changed over time? Is it a code for something else? Are the police discouraged from citing pedestrians? Non-commercial drivers? Even with no one to "blame", there is always a cause.
9
How is it that we, the Majority (NYCers who do Not own vehicles) have allowed our lovely Walking City(?!) to be overrun with SAVs (Suburban Assault Vehicles)? This is a densely-populated city, where public transit supposedly rules. And yet, so many feel the need to own a private vehicle (and then have the usual litany of excuses as to why 'they' need their vehicle). Then there's another set of excuses as to why a mere vehicle (i.e., 4-door sedan) will no longer suffice..that they need an SUV. But what I've not yet heard is...so why do so many now need, not just an SUV, but a Jumbo SUV? And what about all the Jeeps, Range Rovers, Hummers and 4x4s that now litter our neighborhood streets?! This, in New York City?? I guess they need those in order to safely drive in the wintertime ...you know...through all the snow. (Oh, that's right...not much snow happening anymore, thanks to the global warming that they contributed to...)
I've never felt as physically threatened as I have these past few years, by vehicles on NYC streets. Too many vehicles, too large vehicles, not to mention that many of the 'macho man' big trucks also have Monster Truck Wheels and Tinted Windows. I can't think of anything more threatening/deadly than a huge vehicle with tinted windows (and where I can't make any eye contact with the driver!) making a fast turn Onto the very crosswalk I'm in the middle of.
Time for some Bans, limits, taxes, etc. And time for the Majority to march in OUR streets.
19
We need red light cameras on every corner and real penalties for repeat offenders. If it cost REAL money when people blow through a light they would care. On the Upper West Side every week I see a few cars carelessly blow through a red light while kids are walking to school in the morning.
15
I know several New Yorkers who would love to start riding bikes, but are afraid to do so. Unsurprising, when you consider the grim facts. Driver negligence, failure to yield, and an active disdain for cyclists and pedestrians by drivers are at the heart of it. We could fix this problem as a society if we really wanted to, but drivers would scream bloody murder. How ironic.
11
@Stephen Delas Similar to the very successful anti-smoking campaign a few decades ago, and where we've done a complete 360 (smokers are now very much on the 'fringes' of society...people are much more aware when a smoker is in their midst - that lingering tobacco smell... no one would ever consider again allowing for smoking in public places/hotels/airplanes, etc. ... folks don't even allow their friends/family to smoke in their homes but tell them to go outside... etc. ...we need a similar, orchestrated campaign to change our mindset towards the ownership of private vehicles.
I see many parallels here. Just as with public smoking, car culture is seen as 'normal' in much of the world. Just as with smoking, all these private vehicles create health issues for others in the community and who have chosen Not to own a vehicle. Just as with smoking, private cars also directly account for quantifiable injury and death to countless others. Private vehicles are also one of the Leading Contributors to global warming.
When local governments first started telling their citizens that they couldn't smoke here or there, folks were in an uproar. Their 'rights' were being taken away. Now, when we look back, we realize how perverted all of this was...the idea that parents, lit cigarette in mouth, were actually reading bedtime stories to their children. That we allowed smoking in airplanes. Etc.
We must focus on the Greater Good, with an eye on the future (i.e., not cars).
2
@Stephen Delas I will snow ski at speed, scuba dive, drive a car on a race track, or jet ski in rolling surf. All of these activities are much safer and have better controlled risk than a bicycle in NYC.....
2
"[T]he police cited errors by pedestrians and cyclists in less than 5 percent of fatal crashes last year". Actually, 8/152 is MORE than 5%. And since no cause was cited by NYPD in over 1/3 of the fatalities, that number is a distortion: The percentage of cases in which a cause was cited by NYPD where a pedestrian or cyclist was at fault is 8/97 = 8.25%. [To distort figures the way the Times does, the actual percentage is 56.70% higher than what the Times reports.]
The misguided plan to legalize motorized bicycles will increase the above fatality numbers geometrically.
I am a cyclist and a pedestrian. Cyclists need to cede the right of way to pedestrians. Cyclists need to stop texting while they ride. Cyclists must stay off the sidewalk and stop and red lights. Cyclists should right with traffic, not against it. Cyclists need to obey the law.
13
@Lifelong NewYorker I'm also a cyclist and pedestrian, and agree 100%.
If cyclists want to be taken seriously..to have cycling viewed as a valid form of transit that deserves respect and funding...then they need to start acting that way. It angers me...that so many cyclists not only take traffic laws as mere 'suggestions', but certain other cyclists blatantly flout the laws (food delivery guys) or ride as if they are on a suicide mission (messengers in Manhattan). These behaviors result in drivers and pedestrians alike, 'disliking' cyclists as a whole. This in turn makes it harder for me (a law-abiding cyclist). The resentment of me, for simply being on a bicycle, is very palpable from certain drivers.
And the last thing I want or need as a cyclist on the road, is to sense that the driver of the F150 right next to me, hates me and my ilk.
10
Anybody rides a bicycle on NY streets, especially with no bike lanes must have a death wish. It inherently too dangerous to do on a regular basis.
7
@John Mardinly
So your answer is to surrender to the mob? I say ban cars. (Yeah it seems like a pipedream)
4
@John Mardinly I live in Queens, NY, and you couldn't pay me enough to ride my bike in Manhattan. It ain't never gonna happen in my lifetime. Heck, I won't even ride most streets in Queens...there are only select few streets I will ride.
3
While pedestrians need to be more careful...stop crossing against traffic and in between cars, stop crossing when traffic has a green light, keep head up and not looking at cell phones, observing traffic...as a driver I will attest to the ridiculously poor driving I have noticed over the past few years. People are serving around cars rather than wait in line to move, driving in the wrong lane to get around traffic, speeding through lights, honking at those who take their time to drive, honking at me when I stop to let a pedestrian cross as required by law and trying to go around me, speeding down narrow streets in 25MPH zones, and taking risks I have never seen before.It is getting scary to drive these days, and there is no enforcement. I have seen police sitting and watching while drivers do the wrong thing and they don't move. Why? And I have seen countless traffic people with their heads won int her cell phones while cars run lights, make illegal turns and more. I am going to start taking photos of that because honestly what are they for if they aren't doing their jobs? This is a system in chaos, yet another one, and no matter how much the Mayor talks about Vision Zero nothing changes. It is actually getting worse. the best thing pedestrians can do is start being more aware to save themselves.
7
@Julius Adams Thanks for pointing out some of these very specific behaviors that indeed, we all witness everyday, and yet consider 'normal'. Cars pull around stalled traffic all the time, not wanting to wait. Cars gun the gas pedal if they see that the light ahead 'just turned red' ('...if I get stopped, I'll just tell them the light was still yellow as I pass through...')
I've started taking video on my phone of cars double-parked in lanes of traffic, in bike lanes...of cars parked On The Sidewalk... and I post it on my social media complete with the driver's license written out, and then I tag the NYPD and the DoT. ;-) Course, they could care less, and any calls/reports to 311 are utterly futile ('...your request will be investigated within the next ten hours..' Please!)...but at least by most posting what I witness on social media, the DoT and NYPD cannot feign ignorance.
When I'm in the crosswalk (and especially with the White Walk Light ahead of me, because pedestrians were JUST given the go-ahead to cross) and I've already got some jerk lunkhead in a Denali/Navigator/Yukon/F150 beeping at me to 'hurry up', I give them the finger (once I'm no longer directly in front of their military-style grille). We must not accept this behavior anymore. Time to disband the perverted car culture in NYC, bit by bit. Time to take back Our Streets.
Smoking anywhere/everywhere was once considered 'normal', and so too will it one day be re: private vehicles in cities: Banned.
3
So what about law enforcement for cyclists who endanger and harm.
Will NYC government ever take action???
9
Cars, all kinds of vehicles, without punishment, run red lights here. Not just at some intersections. AT ALL OF THEM. If you think that’s not true, you’re in denial. There will never be a policeman at each intersection. There must be cameras. There must be. Let’s go. It’s sinful the way cars are allowed to breeze through red lights.
4
Good Morning
While I am so sorry for these fatalities, family & friends there are shared responsibilities.
I live on uws, 90s nr Riverside Park.
Not particularly cranky, infirm or otherwise compromised! Cyclists are an absolute nightmare, traffic signals mean nothing at all, small children, elderly dogs, elderly humans all at risk from completely irresponsible cyclists.
Riding on sidewalk oblivious to pedestrians.
Riding south down hill top speed on Riverside drive unable to stop, irresponsible & frequently arrogant & rude. Again really sorry for the loss but cyclists seem to feel they are exempt from following any rules of the road, not just uws.
13
I recall in the original story (October, 2019) that the driver who killed the boy named Dalerjon Shahobiddinov, if convicted of the most serious charges against him, will face a maximum of three months in jail.
I realize it was a terrible accident, but three months? How is that possible for taking a life.
3
Thank you for this article. Crashmapper.org provides up to date mapping and comparison of Nypd crash data .
4
The entire arguments about this are just standard bureaucratic insanity. Any rational human who has spent more than five minutes observing NY City street vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic knows that the only solution is to declare the streets open territory, everyone having to look out for themselves.
The ones caught up by the police and flunky judges similar to the one cited in this article, are like Tessie in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" who is selected to be stoned to death to appease the guilt of her community.
@Glenn Our streets literally feel like the Wild West now, complete with the Midwest farmer trucks to go along with that.
#CornGrowersofNYC
1
It's not like this is a new problem. Commuting to work on a bicycle in Binghamton in 1977, and being as careful and respectful of traffic laws as I could, I was nearly hit more times than I remember. To this day, on a bicycle, I ASSUME the car /truck will hit me and try to get where it's least possible. Also on a motorcycle, the same thing happens all the time, but, at least there, you have the power in some situations to get AHEAD of the person about to kill you.
40 years ago, Harry Hurt published "The Hurt Report" and in over 90% of auto/motorcycle fatalities, the car driver was at fault. Even police with sirens and flashers have been hit and killed by car drivers.
When I'm in my pickup or the family SUV, I ALWAYS am aware of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles. I know only too well what unaware drivers can do them.
2
One might say that the bikers are challenging the drivers/pedestrians. They zip all over, go against the traffic, run through red lights, ride on the sidewalks where THEY DO NOT BELONG and are arrogant and nasty.
When they kill someone, which they do when they run a red light against the traffic, or run over someone and break their legs, they only get a summons which does nothing.
Every biker should have an identifying number, like the marathon runners, which they must wear every time they are on the bike. That way they can be identified, and people can take photos and report them. And then if there is injury, they can be jailed. Punishment is the only way they will change.
11
@Naomi So, I assume that means you're in favor of protected bike lines then? So cyclists can be "where they belong?"
And, obviously, you're in favor of drivers being jailed in the case of injuries to pedestrians and cyclists -- 70,000 in 2017 alone, according to this article. After all, "punishment is the only way they will change."
1
Enforce the speed limit?
6
Deblasio's signature campaign should really be called Vision Zero Enforcement, judging by the lack of consequences for these reckless drivers. If I went out in the street and recklessly fired a gun, killing someone, I'd be in jail. But if I do that with a car I can count on getting nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Deblasio's approach of red light tickets and bike lanes is a joke - why won't he insist on real punishment for all these reckless drivers??
3
The problem is caused mainly by distracted driving --
dis·tract·ed
/dəˈstraktəd/
adjective: distracted
unable to concentrate because one's mind is preoccupied.
"A distraction is something that takes your attention away from what you're supposed to be doing"
In other words - they're not paying attention --
Here's one way to help ensure drivers "pay attention" --
Headline: -
"Driver Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Killing 10-Year Old Girl While Texting" --
TV News Report: -
"Coming up next - A suburban mother of three sentenced to prison for killing a seventy-two year old woman after plowing through a red light" --
If we start seeing a few more of those stories - suddenly drivers will start paying close attention and become less distracted - resulting in many fewer fatalities -
Guaranteed...
6
Get cars out of the city. They do not belong here.
11
Maybe we need to separate drivers and pedestrians/bikers. How about some avenues just for drivers and some for pedestrians and bikers, with physical dividers between the latter.
This just might encourage drivers to abandon their cars and take public transport instead of sitting in the resulting traffic jams. but it would make for safer street for pedestrians. times square has sort of become this. NYC is a pedestrian city. Drivers should always be the second class citizens.
7
Claudia
Illinois1h ago writes
"Drivers are responsible for most fatal crashes"
"Drivers rarely face serious charges when they kill someone"
The crux is right there in the subtitles. There is no possible rationale for this.
YES
To this I can add my own experience: Police makes little effort to track down the culprits who flee.
In my case after being left near death after a hit and run: No analysis of the car paint left on my mangled bicycle, no search of collision damage repair shops for cars with front end damage, , no analysis of the fragments of the plastic car right front fender liner left in the mangled bicycle - that together with the paint analysis would have likely identified the make and year of the car that run me over.
5
Just saying but it is hard to notice a cyclist that comes from a blind spot. They don’t make as much noise or have lights like cars to let you know they are behind you. I often realize a cyclist is nearby when they zoom past me in traffic. I think a law mandating that cyclists must have a light on their bike should be passed. This can ensure that drivers will notice cyclists since the light should reflect in the drivers’ side mirrors- especially at night.
5
@Waleed Khalid This is already a law. For cyclists lights and a bell are required, and most cyclists I see have lights.
1
As a Pedestrian and Cyclist living in NYC I agree with all the comments here calling out the introduction of Uber and Lyft to the congestion on the streets of NYC.
One other major contributor is poor crosswalk design. When I travel to many other US cities, but more so foreign cities, I always note that crosswalks are set several feet from the actual corner. This allows turning cars a buffer space to hit the breaks and protects people crossing the street. Also, 4 way Walk lights stop cars from all directions eliminating the opportunity to hit pedestrian traffic. Speed bumps a quarter way in from cross streets would slow cars down a quick relatively cheap change.
Requiring lights on delivery bicycles...I can't tell you the hundreds of times delivery bikes come flying out of nowhere at night time and the bicycle is black, the person riding the bike is wearing dark colors, and there are no lights on the bike....you can't see these people charging at you.
Lastly, more Traffic cops patrolling the streets. More often than not, cars and trucks are reckless because they don't think anyone is watching them and will suffer no consequences.
7
@NYTNYC Indeed. Turning vehicles present the greatest threat. With gentrification in my neighborhood, and an increase in foot traffic, bikes and vehicles (massive SUVs, Jeeps and 4x4s?!), our narrow streets and intersections are deadlier than more frightening than ever. There have been countless times where I was in the crosswalk with the White Walk Light ahead of me, and a massive SUV came up from Behind me barrelling into a turn onto the very crosswalk that I was in. Drivers are in too much of a rush now as they 'resent' the very traffic congestion they helped to create. They aren't slowing down when making turns, much less considering that a pedestrian may be in the Crosswalk?
The proliferation of massive vehicles with their higher front ends/driver's seats also means that these drivers are less likely to see what's right in front of/below their front end (as their field of vision is further ahead down the road).
Our City needs to institute some massive changes, and fast. Tinted windows is also problematic, as it prevents pedestrians/cyclists from making eye contact with the driver and understanding if they see us and will yield to us.
5
As a runner who has had several near misses with drivers, the single common characteristic is not inattentiveness, but passive aggression: passing too close, cutting off on crosswalks, shooting out of a side street without stopping, and so on. The fact that these people rarely get charged for willfully endangering or taking someone's life merely reinforces this behavior.
15
@CV Danes When I am on my bike, the dislike of cyclists is palpable from certain drivers. They clearly resent that some paltry lanes and parking spots have been relegated to bikes. But, this is what happens when drivers have been pandered to for decades. I find certain car people are much like certain gun people. They hold steadfast to their 'cultures' and say that we'll have to take their vehicles/guns from their cold dead hands.
As a cyclist, I understand only too well, how vulnerable I am. I am very careful about what streets I will and will not traverse. I ride slowly, always prepared for a stop/dismount. If I feel I'm in a compromising situation, I quickly dismount on the side of the road, let vehicles pass, etc., and then continue on my way.
In my Queens neighborhood, and where there can be an element of entitled, passive-aggressive drivers in massive vehicles, complete with monster truck wheels, excessive grilles, tinted windows etc. (positively terrifying), I always make sure to do my part in trying to bridge the chasm between drivers and cyclists. I mean, I get it, that what some drivers resent is no so much the loss of parking spots/lanes, but the scofflaw cyclists who get off scott-free. One way cyclists can get more respect is by obeying all traffic laws. I do exactly that, and give drivers a little wave of 'thanks' when they yield to me. I recognize full well that as a cyclist, a contentious relationship with drivers does not serve us cyclists.
6
@CV Danes , Great observation. I love to walk and bike ride, and I'm amazed at the number of drivers who won't observe the FL law to keep 3 ft away from pedestrians and bicyclists. They zoom by and assume 6" is plenty of space. It's aggressive and dangerous.
1
And where are our city planners...our local politicians that serve the various neighborhoods where so many have been killed by SAVs (Suburban Assault Vehicles)? And why isn't the MTA also being more vocal, about how all this traffic impedes their ability to provide us with effective bus service?
It seems to me that no one is Taking Charge...no one is stepping back and looking at the big picture...of what is happening on our streets, and which have turned into the Wild West. Ever heard of Smart Cities? Why isn't this happening in a city such as NYC?? Clearly we need someone very capable and very tough...who can deal with the various governmental, transit, community groups etc., and make tough, unpopular decisions, but which will serve the Majority as we look to the future of cities and moving people from Point A to B.
As we all know, fixing our (underground) subway system, such that it runs more seamlessly and efficiently, probably isn't going to happen in our lifetimes. However, it seems to me that we should be focusing more on the above-ground bus system, and that that should be an easier way to make a big impact (vs the subway system).
There should be Bus Only lanes on all Avenues (if not already). Certain streets should be Bus Only, with vehicles having to use adjoining streets. DoT/NYPD must Ticket cars in bus lanes/bus stops. ALL bus lines should have Pre-Paid boarding, with All doors opening. More frequent buses. And DoT/NYPD need to Ticket double-parkers.
5
Court reform. I was struck from behind by a truck. The driver told the investigating officer that I was in the bike lane (I was unconscious). The officer did not issue a ticket. I later asked why and was told that the instruction is that if the officer did not see the accident, the courts do not want a ticket issued. A reckless driver faced no legal consequences, due to court procedure.
8
Stand on the corner of 43rd and Ninth for 20 minutes at any time of the day and you won't be blaming drivers but cyclists for injuries and deaths. It's time the police issued some tickets to these offenders for going the wrong way on a one-way street and ignoring red lights. Ninth Ave. has a bike lane and still these cyclists ride on the sidewalks. Give me a break.
11
@Ron It is a good thing all the cars and trucks are law abiding citizens. ;-) (\sarcasm off )
5
Let me begin by saying that a driver has absolute obligation to see and avoid. No sane person wants to hit anyone.
Still, I want to see a strong safety message aimed at walkers. Literally every day I see people who don't even take a cursory glance and walk directly into traffic. Likewise, bikers are justly afraid of the drivers who don't look before flinging doors open.
I know the Vision Zero answer is to lower all speeds in a cynical expectation that pedestrians will be struck....and that to mention anything that maybe looking up from the iphone before stepping off the curb is against the Vision Zero dogma that streets are for walkers and everyone else is an interloper.
Cross at the Green, not in-between.
Always look both ways before crossing the street
These simple messages from my childhood are nowhere to be found today.
5
"There were also three fatal crashes that did not involve a vehicle, in which a pedestrian and cyclist collided." This statistic, referred to only in passing, is extremely significant given the weight of a bicycle vs. the weight of a car or truck, the speed at which each travels, and the number of bicycle-road-miles per day on NYC streets vs. the number of car-and-truck-road-miles per day. For purposes of Vision Zero goals, it would be useful if the Times included an analysis of the number of pedestrians killed by cyclists per bicycle-mile ridden vs. the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by cars and trucks per car/truck-mile driven.
Of the seven pedestrians killed by cyclists in prior years under Vision Zero, five were killed by delivery cyclists or others riding throttle bikes or electric-assist bikes. It would be helpful to know whether throttle bikes or ebikes contributed to any of the three recent deaths. This is critical given the legalization of throttle bikes and ebikes proposed by the Governor and backed by the Council Speaker.
5
There are some common sense steps that might lower the number of pedestrian deaths. Drivers who do not pay their traffic fines should have their licenses revoked. Individuals diving without a license should be charged with a misdemeanor and have the car they are driving confiscated. Texting while driving should be treated the same as DWI.
There should also be a limit on the number of Uber and Lyft drivers on the streets of New York.
Finally, pedestrians should practice defensive tactics when interacting with traffic. It really does not make any difference who is right or wrong when you are dead.
5
@Matt If we put a limit on Lyft/Uber drivers, and instead rely on taxis...with perhaps more taxis winning back the business they've lost, does that then fix the problem? It seems to me that Uber/Lyft is an easy target, often pointed at by...you guessed it...private car owners. Funny that they never want to consider themselves, and their own private two-ton vehicles, or that there should 'be a limit' on privately owned cars.
The fact is, Uber and Lyft provide a Service to dozens if not hundreds per day. But personal two-ton vehicles? They typically serve one person, who might drive 20 minutes per day, while the rest of the day that vehicle is sitting parked/unused, and at times taking up space in Our Public streets. Pay attention to vehicles on our streets (not vehicles with a 'T' at the beginning of their licenses) and you will notice a disturbing trend: typically a jumbo SUV, Jeep or 4x4, and with a single passenger...or sometimes two passengers. How many drivers do you know who use their car just to go ten blocks, and yet are in perfect health? How many drivers do you know who prefer/are willing to sit in traffic in their nice, clean, acclimatized, cup-holding, stereo-sound two-ton assault vehicle, rather than consider joining their fellow man on (gross!) public transit, and even when that public transit will get them where they need to go, and more swiftly?
The majority of private car owners do not 'need' them. It's about entitlement, laziness and habit.
1
As a pedestrian I can say that the WORST infractions against those of us walking are by bicyclists, delivery and non-delivery (those Citibike riders without helmets are particularly awful), followed by Uber or Lyft cars that are speeding. No one cares about pedestrians, bicyclists apparently can do no wrong, but they go fast and often against traffic. As a pedestrian I have no way to feel safe in these conditions.
12
The city is making drivers crazy.
Streets that used to have 5 lanes now have 3, or less. Redirecting traffic to a few through streets with fewer lanes means you're pretty much going to sit in traffic.
Plus Uber and Lyft have increased the number of drivers on the road, which also slows things down.
The result is that when drivers see an opportunity to move ahead, they often speed. Combine that with inattention and you're going to get accidents.
3
@Talbot The street narrowing has also had the effect of worse sight angles. What were clear fields of vision are now chopped up into many bits. The concept is to slow people down if they cannot parse the intersection, but the result is to cause conflicts due to poor engineering
2
@Talbot I always chuckle when drivers complain about traffic...you know, the very traffic that they themselves are creating?
Many people in NYC own private vehicles, not out of any true need (though they always have a litany of excuses..) but for convenience and/or status, and out of habit/laziness.
I know countless vehicle owners (as I'm sure many of you do) who reach for their keys to go anywhere and everywhere. I've a friend in my neighborhood who's this way. We were once going to go to an event in NJ (where I believe they do have the PATH, NJ Transit, etc.??) and she said '...we can take my car...though the traffic is going to be awful', and all I could think was 'huh??' Another time we had an event in the West Village of Manhattan (again, which I believe is easily accessible via subway??) and again, she said 'we can take my car, though it'll probably take a half hour to find parking'. Yup, this is sadly how many car owners are. It's not about need. It's about 'convenience', laziness, habit. And in some instances, about not wanting to have to be around 'gross strangers'.
Why should the Majority (who do Not own cars in NYC) capitulate so much of our Public Space and Personal Safety to the owners of private two-ton vehicles?
Also, drivers are so quick to deflect responsibility and point fingers at 'cyclists, Uber, Amazon trucks', etc. With regards to Uber and delivery trucks, etc., the difference is that they serve Many. Private vehicles typically serve One.
8
@Lisa I'm not a driver. I don't own a car. So before you chuckle over your assumptions about my biases, please note I don't have those. I'm simply describing what I've noticed after living here for 40 years.
2
Safe vehicle speeds for dense areas co-mingling with cyclists and pedestrians is 20 mph. Anything higher is usually deadly - just ask a doctor. Drivers almost aways drive 5 - 10 mph faster than the posted speed limit - just ask any cop about that. "Complete Streets" provide safe transit lanes for all modes: vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. But the car still reigns supreme in most of North America, NYC no exception, and making those designs appear on the urban landscape has taken a back seat to parking spaces, at great expense to those injured and killed. (And crossing a double yellow line is illegal, btw.)
12
Cars should always be a fault when they hit a cyclist. Cyclists should be at fault when they hit a pedestrian.
13
When people drive cars, they essentially arm themselves with extremely heavy exoskeletons.
Pedestrians and cyclists have only their fragile endoskeletons to help them move.
Human endoskeleton versus steel exoskeleton? No contest.
That’s why the burden lies on vehicle drivers — always — to hold back and give room.
27
"The driver did not face criminal charges, even though a judge found that he was responsible for the crash and revoked his license."
Charges are almost never brought against drivers in these cases, which means that manslaughter by vehicle is fully endorsed by society and the State.
So of course, there will be lots of it.
16
1) Ban the sale of any new vehicles over a certain size, to NYC residents (that includes jumbo SUVs, Jeeps, 4x4s). Such vehicles do not belong in dense cities.
2) Ban tinted windshields and tinted driver's side windows (they prevent cyclists/pedestrians from making eye contact with driver, or understanding if the driver sees/will yield to them).
3) DoT and NYPD need external oversight. They do nothing to control private vehicles that double-park in lanes of traffic, in bike lanes, in bus lanes and bus stops. All this illegal parking/idling creates dangerous street conditions for other vehicles, cyclists, etc.
4) I tire of entitled drivers pointing the finger and saying 'but what about Uber drivers?...what about those Amazon trucks?..what about scofflaw cyclists?' Drivers need to look in the mirror.
5) As a cyclist, I agree that cyclists need to be held to traffic laws just like drivers. I too have had my share of close calls with reckless cyclists. It's not OK. They should not be speeding down sidewalks, not riding the wrong way or one-way streets, and not going thru red lights.
6) We've allowed the liberty of private vehicle ownership (and even in a place such as NYC) for far too long. Drivers have become spoiled/entitled, and Resent any suggestion that 'their rights' will be infringed. But just as we did with smoking, so too must we do with cars. Both include personal actions that negatively impact others. We must consider the Majority..the Greater Good.
23
I agree almost entirely.
Those tinted windows are useless for anyone but criminals.
You lost me at #6.
3
@Lisa I doubt that there will be a ban of larger vehicles.
Also, is it true drivers have become spoiled/entitled as you state? That's a big generalization.
4
Here's the problem with conclusions from these data sets. The sample size is tiny. Plus, in many cases, the police have no idea what the biker did before they got hit. They only have the driver. My guess is many of the accidents occurred because of error on both sides.
1
@JF I think you ought to reread this story and look at the "data sets" as you call them. It clearly states more than once that in the majority of cases the fault is the driver's - not "error on both sides."
How could you miss that?
6
The Bike lanes and the deluge of delivery men who don't abide by stop lights are the biggest danger in Manhattan. I'm very cautious when crossing the street and look 2 streets down, and wait for the bike to pass, before venturing across....and then a cyclist turns a corner..pedaling right toward me Many are on their cell phones looking for addresses or next delivery.
.There needs to be a mandate/ law that restaurants provide an identifying vest, plus training, so we can report them to the police.
I'm swift on my feet, so I can jump away..but if I couldn't, I can't count the times,I would have had a collision.
most dangerous
9
Would the Times do a story on the civil consequences (financial, legal) of injuring a pedestrian or a cyclist? Even if criminal penalties are insignificant, why wouldn't negligent drivers be taken to the proverbial cleaners? Do parent companies - Lyft, Uber, Amazon, et al. - get sued for their employees' misconduct? There are some deep pockets there I would imagine. Where are the good old ambulance chasers?
4
I bought a car in January, 2016 and since that time I've been hit four times (three rear-ends and a side-swipe) by distracted drivers. The penalties have to be made more severe or it's going to keep happening.
11
I would have liked to see any statistics if available on how many drivers were on their cell phones. Do the police check that? Are records able to be examined? Surely phones and car touch screens are responsible for much of the uptick.
15
I don't think the facts you indicate support your conclusions. you list failure to yield, disregarding traffic signals or signs and unsafe speed as 3 of the top 4 factors cited, and assign them all to the motor vehicle. In my experience as both a cyclist and driver in NYC, these infractions are common among cyclists. Are you sure the person who disregarded the traffic signal was always the driver and not the cyclist?
5
@Adam I can't tell you how many times I've been almost hit by a cyclist going in the wrong direction and running a red light.
8
@Adam If you follow the link for the data set the Times used you see that there is a separate "pedestrian/bicyclist/other error" for contributing factor. So it's a safe assumption that that factor would cover all infractions by cyclists.
1
@Karen Coulter I did see that, I do not agree with your "safe assumption" conclusion. If an officer was responding to an accident where a bicyclist ran a red light and was hit, I believe it would be noted as running a red light and not making an error. The journalistic thing to do would be to verify, couldn't be too hard to interview some of the 150 or so officers involved.
1
My wife and I were pedestrians. We had the green light when a distracted driver (we think she was texting) hit us. We were lucky--still alive, no brain damage, no spinal cord injuries. But we still see drivers zooming around corners with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cell phone to their ear. It's scary.
32
@Martha Shelley
I should add that the driver already had her licensed suspended, for unpaid tickets as I remember. And all she got for hitting us was another ticket.
18
it's time to treat texting while driving as on the same level as a DUI. it'll stop real fast. and I say this as someone who, despite best intentions, occasionally still glances at a phone while driving. I'd stop in a hurry if the law and society started treating it as a big deal. as it is, it's too easy to convince myself that "at least I don't do it that much" or "I'm smart about when I do it" and other such myths
78
Pedestrian, biker and driver in the city for over 40 years here. Aside from texting-while-driving, which surely is the cause for much of this, the big elephant in the room that nobody wants to discuss is Uber and the 80,000 cars it has put on the streets in the last few years. You just can't introduce that kind of disruption in such an already-congested place without major consequences, such as traffic, rage and accidents. Uber contributes nothing to our society and it takes people out of the public transportation system. It's good for a tiny number of investors.
83
@Sam Uber contributes nothing to society? And what is it that private car owners contribute (that is, aside from local air pollution, traffic and global warming)?
I always chuckle when car owners point the finger at everyone else, but never want to consider leaving their own cars at home, or maybe giving up their cars entirely? There's always a reason, isn't there, why folks (even in a place like NYC) need their private two-ton vehicles...
5
I’d be interested in knowing whether most of the accidents are from drivers making left, or right turns.
Being both a bike rider and driver, I suspect it’s those left turns that are the culprits.
6
nycdot did a study a few years ago, left turns were twice as deadly (or twice as likely to injure, I don't recall).
5
@New World As a pedestrian, I can tell you that 99% of my problems with vehicles are when they are making turns. They often don't slow down sufficiently, or consider that there might actually be a pedestrian in the crosswalk that they are about to turn onto.
Another problem is the fact that the majority of vehicles on our streets are now SUVs etc. With these vehicles, the driver's seat is up higher, which means that the driver's field of vision is further ahead...further down the road. So these drivers have a harder time seeing what may be Directly in front of or Below their field of vision. This is yet another problem with the proliferation of massive vehicles now littering our densely-populated streets. Such ridiculously large vehicles should not be allowed in cities.
9
Your article does not mention accidents involving city buses. But I understand that the incidence of bus/bike/pedestrian injuries is exceptionally low in NYC. There are reasons for this.
I am a municipal bus driver (not in NYC, but we drive the same type of buses). I had months of training and testing to obtain my commercial drivers license, and am required to take defensive driving class every year. Our location is a tourist destination, and in the summer, our narrow roads are swamped by bikers, runners, and drivers from other states....different from NYC’s urban setting, but just as crazy in its way. Nevertheless, our bus/pedestrian injury record, like NYC’s is also very good.
When I visit NY, I always ride the bus, and enjoy comparing notes with the drivers (only while the bus is STOPPED, by the way). They seem to share my opinion that the reasons for our good safety records are:
1. Driver training
2. No driver cell phones allowed
3. Strict enforcement of bus safety procedures
Let’s face it: There a lot of people on our streets who shouldn’t even be ALLOWED to drive a car or truck! If the average driver was given more comprehensive initial driver training, and there were more serious consequences for driving infractions, it would reduce the number of folks killed or injured.
23
@Mary Scott
I have been riding my bike in Manhattan for 55 years,
and I must say the City bus drivers are the best.
BTY I don’t use the bike lanes. Way too dangerous.
3
@Mary Scott I've definitely been on the receiving end of abuse by nyc bus drivers while on a bike. They will speed past me to get to the next stop nearly running me into the sidewalk.
Thank you for this; my condolences to the cyclists who lost their lives. I'm an avid cyclist and belong to a club which advocates safety and following the law. I'm all for rooting out causes of cyclists deaths and would like to add another serious hazard: e-bikes.
While "police cited errors by pedestrians and cyclists in less than 5 percent of fatal crashes last year" I have this to say: Where are the police and why aren't you ticketing e-cyclists (and other cyclists, including Citibikes) who are SPEEDING (often going faster than cars), IGNORING TRAFFIC LIGHTS and GOING THE WRONG WAY in bike lanes?
During dinner time on the UES, there's literally an unending flow of e-bikes speeding down the 2nd Ave bike lane - and riding the wrong way - to deliver food. In Union Square, where I work, it's very similar. I was hit by a cyclist going the wrong way, against the light, on Fifth Avenue.
Again, where are the police? I've NEVER seen them walking about and/or ticketing these folks. WHY?
50
@Sara G2 Agreed. I can't tell you how many e-bike riders I've almost hit recently. They come right up on the side of your car as you're starting to turn and don't pay attention at all. All of them are in a race to get their delivery done. Scary and frustrating.
7
@Sara G2 Might be a matter of practicality--hard to identify, chase down, and stop someone on an e-bike doing 25 mph the wrong way through red lights. At least, it's hard to do without a major commitment by the whole police department.
6
@David: Good point re: commitment. Re: practicality: perhaps they could set-up a dragnet with two officers placed on different ends of the block.
An officer from 13th precinct replied to my email when this happened, and he assured me that they do give out tickets. I've yet to see that.
The situation is a nightmare for pedestrians, and seemingly getting worse given my observation of the increase of e-bikes on UES over the past few months.
4
The police tend to drive cars and not ride bikes, so their unconscious bias tends to be against cyclists and in favor of drivers of cars. Any driver who hits a cyclist or pedestrian should be assumed to have been careless in some way, as the graph indicates,
rather than assuming the cyclist or pedestrian contributed to the accident. With great privilege, the right to drive, comes great responsibility. Any driver involved in a crash should have her license suspended until the investigation is complete and she has had her driving observed. This is harsh, I know, and may lead to behavioral change and save some lives.
I do not own a car nor do I drive one. I am a frequent pedestrian and see that dangers that car drivers pose to us all.
(I use only female pronouns, unless I know the group to which I refer is all-male. I do not mean to imply that I think women who drive are worse than men who drive. Smashing the patriarchy as I go...)
9
@Ellen Tabor
With great privilege, the right to ride, comes great responsibility. Any cyclist involved in a crash should have her license suspended until the investigation is complete and she has had her riding observed. This is harsh, I know, and may lead to behavioral change and save some lives.
2
many comments here claim their experience as a car driver trumps the research in the article - car drivers are to blame far more often than pedestrians and bikes for fatal accidents.
There's no enforcement - car drivers aren't scared for their lives so they really just don't care that much. No need to use a turn signal or slow down for pedestrians in cross walks, even if it is the law.
11
More bikes, less cars. Let’s be like Amsterdam. At least in Manhattan, there is no reason to be in a car.
16
@Judy
".....there is no reason to be in a car". You can't be serious. Have you ever considered the people with disabilities, low or no mobility, chronic health conditions, etc ?
3
And those categories account for what percentage of drivers in NYC?
5
@Judy
NYC is bigger than the Upper East Side or West village.
And as more people are aging , I don't think a bike is a choice....I know I heard it before your aunt is 90 and rides her bike everyday.
That is the same as the person that smokes 2 packs a day and lives to 100....an outlier.
Mass transit has alot of deserts....
1
As a immigrant from Europe I had to take the NYC driving test recently. What a joke.
The mandatory 5 hour theory course does not mention bikes once.The newest educational material was from 1980 and it was a Mercedes driver safety film using km/h and meters. I am not sure what the purpose of this lesson is but I’d recommend for city legislators to take a hard look at it.
Lack of driver education is responsible for a good percentage of these deaths.
If you ride a bike in NYC you can assume that none of the motorists even know how to react or when to yield to a bicycle.
112
Here in Japan they will issue a driver’s license without testing to drivers who hold licenses from certain countries. The USA is not one of those countries. I completely understand why.
11
Please print the statistics of comparative US and European cities.
Please research and compare what specific programs work to reduce accidents and protect people.
This carnage is totally unacceptable.
It's time to ban cars in Manhattan and the places with heavy bike and pedestrian traffic and limit truck access to late night deliveries only.
15
It’s always easier to blame the driver, and it’s true some are horrible drivers, but how about cyclists not obeying traffic rules and devices? I’ve had cyclists biking opposite traffic on one way streets so that when you are turning a corner they come directly at you and it takes superhuman reflexes to not hit them? Those that do no respect “stop all way signs”? Once I waited for my turn, car lets me pass but cyclist was coming super fast , again almost hit him, there are those that run red lights, it’s awful, rules are made to be followed by everyone
20
@Rafael N. Many cyclist are really bad, I know as a cyclist of 117,000 miles. Going against traffic is ALWAYS a bad idea, if cars are present follow the rules, always wear a helmet, etc. With that being said, I see speeding cars, people on their phones, California stops, putting makeup on, shaving. just for starters. We all NEED to follow the rules, including cars and cyclists.
14
@Rafael N. I agree. I commute by car into upper Manhattan. I never speed and always yield to pedestrians. But several times a day while crossing intersections with a green light, cyclists will cross right in front of me without even looking for traffic. Since my light is green, the cross traffic (cyclist) has a red light. Many times they are going the wrong way on a one way street so drivers would never expect them to enter the intersection. I have also had cyclists going 5-10 mph switch into my lane forcing me to slam on the breaks.
6
But it’s not “always easier to blame the driver.” As this article shows, it’s often the cyclist who is blamed, even when the driver is at fault. See, the cyclist is dead, and the driver of the big metal death machine is not. So, absent video, the blame is often assigned to the one who can’t fight back.
10
The law is not working for pedestrians and bicyclists. Judges in particular are exceptionally lenient on motorists who kill. Taking a life should legitimately be dealt with as manslaughter with the same type of penalties as in usual such cases If that happened pedestrians and bicyclist deaths would almost disappear.
13
It is time to seriously look at licensing bicyclists and requiring them to carry personal injury insurance. The only way to get drivers to improve their behavior is when the bicyclist's insurance company lawyer's go after them to recover medical bills.
21
How young a cyclist would you license in this way? A five-year-old, for instance? What about pedestrians? There seem to be some logistical complications. Also, at least in my community in Texas, there are two kinds of cyclists—those who ride recreationally and occasionally to get somewhere, like me, and those who ride bikes as their only forms of transportation. (We don’t have bike delivery drivers in my mid-sized college town.) Most of the former own and drive cars as well as bikes, but the latter are often low-income and some are homeless. They ride bikes, even in the Texas summers, because it’s by far the least expensive mode of transportation. So something else we’d need to decide is whether to put more financial burdens on cyclists.
While I appreciate your ideas, it seems to me that putting more financial requirements on cyclists, with the idea that if we’re victimized we may be better able to get justice, is interesting, it does seem a bit backwards, in addition to being problematic to implement.
3
This article uses a lot of emotional language to alarm readers and grab attention and omits some key facts.
No article on pedestrian deaths could be considered complete without discussing the fact that pedestrians and drivers have been increasingly distracted by their phones. We all see pedestrians, drivers and even cyclists who are looking down at their phones when they should be paying attention to where they are going instead. The increase in pedestrian deaths under DeBlasio mirrors the increase seen nationally. That increase has coincided perfectly with the rise of smartphone use over the last decade.
This article paints drivers as a bunch of speeding maruaders who don't care about pedestrians. While that is true 5% of the time according to the data presented, the most important thing anyone of us can do is keep our phones in our pockets and our wits about us when using public streets.
22
@Dan , I have to agree with you. Even walking down the sidewalk has become hazardous due to the many distracted pedestrians. However, and it's a big "however", drivers have the responsibility of watching everything going on around them and to YIELD to pedestrians. Bumping into a distracted pedestrian on the sidewalk results mostly in embarrassment. A car bumping into a pedestrian results in injury. Drivers need to pay attention, even if the cyclists and pedestrians are not.
13
Despite this carnage, it is amazing the number is not 10x greater with eight million plus people using cars, trucks, bikes, e bikes, scooters, etc. etc.
6
The only way to jolt drivers towards maximum vigilance is to charge vehicular killers with murder, and make that mandatory. Negligence is the same as intent, no matter what the law says. Intent means murder. There is no such thing as an accident.
11
@Ancient I tend to agree, but we should make allowances for "suicide by car." Sad to say, there are people who throw themselves in front of cars in circumstances the most careful driver in the world could not overcome. Some countries, but not the US, do have the strict or absolute liability you describe for inherently dangerous activities or products, hauling explosives being both, but this does not apply to driving in those countries as far as I know.
@Ancient
Shouldn't you be running a Soviet gulag somewhere?
Your comment reflects that you do not care what the law says, so why do you want another one passed?
1
As a former Transportation Alternatives volunteer from Queens now living in Portland, Maine, I can confidently say that NYC driving culture is unique and beastly. In NYC, I could be holding my daughter in the crosswalk with the signal, and a vehicle would cut across us instead of yielding. Here in Maine, drivers yield at uncontrolled crosswalks and if someone does fail to yield at a signalized intersection - guess where they’re from...
Driver culture must be fixed. Changing culture takes time. Laws and enforcement must be the impetus. Consider:
1. Cameras to capture data and driver behavior where disagreeing won’t or absent officers can’t. Cameras are impartial.
2. Grant School Crossing guards the ability to give moving violations and Traffic Safety or Parking Officers should be able to do the same. They’re literally on the eyes on the street.
3. Get trucks out of central cities. No one is enforcing if a 53 footer is driving where they shouldn’t be. Consider that even an SU-30, a standard small “truck” still has poor sight lines and cannot physically make many turns. It would take national coordination, but save many lives.
10
We have Too Many private vehicles, and those vehicles are getting larger and larger by the day. That is the problem in a nutshell.
More traffic/congestion (which, ironically, is caused by the very same drivers who 'complain' about all the traffic) means drivers who get impatient and then take risks. They will hit the gas if the light ahead is turning yellow, or even when it 'just turned' red. They don't slow down when making turns onto a street where the pedestrians have the Walk Light. (Gee, who'd think that there might actually be pedestrians in the crosswalk that I'm about to turn onto??)
The proliferation of jumbo SUVs (Denali, Suburban, Yukon, Navigator, Escalade), Range Rovers, and now .... Jeeps?? 4x4s??...the proliferation of these Assault Vehicles is beyond perverted and action must be taken. The sheer size, weight and design of such vehicles, and with their higher front ends (and often now fitted with extra, military-like grille bars on the front) mean that impacts with cyclists and pedestrians are that much more deadly. The drivers of these vehicles all seem to have more of a sense of 'entitlement' and recklessness than the drivers of your average 4-door sedans. I believe that it's all a fallout of their 'looking down' on other drivers, pedestrians, etc., and knowing how intimidating they appear to others.
In all my years in NYC, I've never felt such a physical threat every time I cross the street, particularly from vehicles that are making a turn.
50
@Lisa
I don't agree that private vehicles are the problem. I think it's mixing bikes and vehicles, especially in older cities. There's just no room for all of them. They should be separated. Thoroughfares should be dedicated to vehicles because that's what the throroughfares were built for; nearby side streets should be dedicated to bikes.
I'm surprised that Oslo, an old city, is happy with Vision Zero, since it must greatly increase travel time across the city. How heavy was the traffic there? Was it like NYC or San Francisco? And how much time has been added to workers' commutes? Have employers made allowance for that? I can imagine they would, since Norway is a very liberal culture in many ways, but would NYC employers let workers come in 30 minutes late every day? I don't think so.
Finally, is the transformation of our cities democratic or autocratic? All I ever see in the news is one pressure group and its professional experts dictating how to make room for more bikes.
4
@zootsuit Streets were made for vehicles? You know that when every city began the automobile hadn't been invented yet right? Horses first, then bikes, then much later cars. So if anyone should complain it's the horses, and car drivers as the last and most dangerous should be limited.
14
But you know, streets were always meant for vehicles, whether horse-drawn or gas-powered.
For as long as there have been vehicles of any kind, there have been accidents between them and pedestrians. In London before the turn of the last century, especially given London's fog, people were run over by just about every conveyance on the road.
I am in complete agreement, however, that driver carelessness, sense of entitlement, and sheer lawlessness are to blame for most accidents.
Pedestrians can be fatally stupid, but they're on foot and drivers aren't.
4
I'd like to see some comparison between NYC and other large cities and population centers in the U.S. This won't be popular, but I say that if you're in a city with 8 million people, with most of them crossing streets repeatedly on a daily basis, and with many thousands of bike riders and hundreds of thousands of cars in traffic at any point, I find it rather amazing that there are ONLY 221 deaths in traffic crashes last year. While we must always strive to make the situation better, reality often intrudes its ugly head and says there is a limit to what you can do in such a 24-hours-a-day busy metropolis. I am a very careful but quick walker, and I have not come close to being hit by a car, but have been almost hit by bicycle riders several times.
24
In July of 2017 I was run over by a livery driver who drove into a crowded crosswalk while turning. He then backed up over me as well. I live to tell the tale. The police never responded to this "accident" that held up a crowded intersection for almost an hour and I have been fighting for over two years for proper medical care and to hold the driver responsible. He didn't even receive a ticket and was driving the next day for the same car service. Again, I live to tell the tale. Many don't, but I am still floored by the lack of punishment for this driver.
141
Not a day passes without cars running through red lights in Manhattan. Pedestrians crossing in crosswalks with the walk signal often have to scramble out of the way of a vehicle turning the corner honking furiously to make pedestrians get out of the way because the driver is turning. I've seen this happen even when police cars are right there, but uninterested in stopping reckless driving. This never happens in London. Step into a crosswalk in London and traffic halts. Moving traffic violations in NYC are not enforced. There should be criminal penalties for drivers who hit pedestrians walking in crosswalks with the walk signal.
156
Over the past 10+ years NYC has undertaken to install many bike lanes, thus removing lanes for traffic. During this time NYC has welcomed 400,000+ new citizens !! Then, Uber, Lyft and TLC cars have become more numerous than regular cars. In other words, too many people and vehicles striving for too little space to drive, and, hence, pedestrian fatalities. The only solution is a 14th Street style series of bus lanes, both crosstown and up and down. The subways are as good as they can get, so its now the bus traffic that has to become a reasonable alternative to cars.
5
@Bruce Egert
And how many thousands of cyclists?! Too many users in an environment that can't be expanded to make room for them.
1
Practically EVERYONE is distracted, or otherwise unaware of their surroundings. Drivers, bikers, pedestrians. I see cars on winter mornings completely covered in snow and ice except for the little bit of windshield they took 5 seconds to expose. I see drivers, bikers, and pedestrians wearing headphones. They wear hoodies, blocking their field of vision. On Friday afternoons drivers lose all sense, I guess because they're excited like six year olds that the weekend is starting? Even the car makers have the same mentality. There is no field of vision in cars anymore, just electronic gadgetry to try to make up for it. Cameras, blinkers, buzzers. And if that's not enough, good luck to you if riding your bicycle you start following what your elected officials have chosen to mark as a "bike path" - though you start off paralleling a country road, you may just end up forced to bike in the breakdown lane of a busy 2-lane highway, rightfully afraid for your life.
11
“I don’t believe you should lose your personal property because you’ve gotten a traffic ticket,” he said.
OK, fine, but this legislation is aimed at folks who accumulate multiple dangerous violations.
29
I think that the proliferation bicycles and various other poorly regulated modes of transportation eg electric bikes, scooters, etc. have created a Mad Max situation on the streets. Sure, drivers are ultimately responsible but navigating the streets feels like a crazed video game for driver and pedestrian alike. Various vehicles going every which way, it is simply overwhelming. And note, the article notes 3 fatal bicycle, pedestrian accidents. Yes, bikes don't have the mass of a truck but collisions are happening.
17
Repurposing on-street parking into a network of truly protected bike lanes with buffers, wider sidewalks with proper pedestrian bump outs, and dedicated trash/loading areas would be an enormous step towards enhancing public safety.
The benefits of free parking are far too concentrated for that to be a primary use of our precious street space.
(I'm talking about core Manhattan, not deep in Queens or on Staten Island where people actually do own and need cars.)
10
"Part of being safe on the road is always keeping your distance and being aware..." Good advice for cyclists, too.
13
Pedestrians must also take some responsibility when they walk at night. Please wear some reflective gear so drivers can see you. At the last minute I saw someone dressed all in black and wearing a hoodie crossing a street in a not well lit area. Luckily, there was no accident. Also, there has to be a federal regulation for the blinding LED headlights in cars these days. That contributed to this near accident, since the car coming in the opposite direction made me avert my eyes due to the blinding headlights.
25
@Carl LaFong I always wear a large reflective "Please Don't Kill Me" insignia night and day as an NYC pedestrian.
1
I'm a cyclist myself, but I'm glad the Times finally included the stat on deaths caused in accidents where a cyclist hit a pedestrian (3 last year) in one of these articles about . It happens rarely, but it happens--the NY Police crash data cited in the article seems to suggest that in 2019, for every 40 or 50 pedestrians or cyclists killed by a car due to driver error, one pedestrian is killed by a cyclist.
11
"Drivers are responsible for most fatal crashes"
"Drivers rarely face serious charges when they kill someone"
The crux is right there in the subtitles. There is no possible rationale for this.
129
Mass incarceration or not, you're going to have to punish the people driving cars over kids and grandmas with jail sentences that hurt.
66
@Ryan Bingham
Punishments need not be prison sentences. We could easily revoke people's driving privileges for an extended period of time.
Police, please enforce the one way rule in the bike lanes.
Single worst hazard for bikers, for drivers, for pedestrians who get blind sided.
I use the NYC bike lanes daily; grateful for their creation as I rode without them for many years. Some education on the "Dutch open" would be a great addition to driver training.
But the terror caused by someone coming straight at you, at twice your speed, forcing you into a game of chicken or to go out into traffic, has got to be eliminated. Many times make a left turn on green and almost crash into delivery guy going through red light in wrong direction. Does not matter at all if its a regular bike or PEV. As long as it is going smoothly WITH traffic and obeying traffic laws.
Police, please enforce the one way rule for bike lanes as well as for cars.
59
I find it offensive to hear when someone is killed by a distracted driver it called an "accident". The driver made a choice to divert their attention from driving putting priority on whatever the distraction was. This is not an accident, and the driver should be charged as such.
160
@AusTex If the the driver inadvertently hits someone with out malice then yes its an accident.
9
As a pedestrian who was hit by a car, while walking in a crosswalk with a walk light, I also have a problem with the word “accident.” I know she didn’t mean to hit me, but her phone did not “accidentally” end up in her hand while she was driving.
22
@AusTex
Agreed. That’s why insurance companies are beginning to refer to “collisions”.
8
I've gone through four sets of brake pads in two years. Why? Because I'm braking for arrogant bikers and inattentive pedestrians. They look at me in disgust when I brake when most are in the middle of the street, going through red lights, and even not using the bike lanes when they are preparing to turn (what we use to call J-walking) instead of going to the intersection and hand signalling for a turn. The most egregious act is when a stroller is pushed forward to stop traffic when the mother or other handler wants to cross against traffic or hurry through a yellow light. OMG. And the electric delivery bikes are completely out of control, driving anywhere, in any direction, on any surface, to get that food delivered. I think that a complete overhaul of traffic rules and road education are needed for all wheeled vehicles to increase awareness.
64
@ZC : If you have gone through four sets of brake pads in two years you are driving too fast.
41
@ZC It is a good thing all car/truck drivers follow the rules as well, NOT!
4
@ZC
"and even not using the bike lanes when they are preparing to turn"
When you are making a turn opposite the side of the street from the bike lane, you are *supposed* to cut over to the other side of the street. It's the first of several exceptions to the law requiring people to bike in bike lanes.
15
Has anyone done any empirical research on what "distracted" driving means and how many of these crashes occur when drivers are looking at their cell phones? I realize this may be difficult to quantify, but cell phone uses seems to me to be the most important aspect of the story of increased accidents and it's hardly mentioned in this article.
11
@Wyatt
"Has anyone done any empirical research on what "distracted" driving means"
When was the last time you saw any pedestrian crossing the street in Manhattan not head down into their phone, let alone with a green light or not in the middle of the block?
6
@Wyatt Your question sounds like something you could google. I would think it implicit in any story like this that cell phone use is the main culprit: uber and delivery drivers constantly checking their schedules and their GPS, e.g.
1
@Glenn And how many of these pedestrians are armed with a 3,500 pound killing machine?
3
Why are so many automobiles parked on sidewalks in NYC? In order to park on a sidewalk someone drove on the sidewalk; this is termed "driving to endanger" and is a moving violation everywhere but New York City.
41
@Ace Happens on an almost daily basis, on Steinway Street in Astoria, between Ditmars and 21st Ave. Privately-owned cars parked across the sidewalk. Apparently the free street space in front of their home, the driveway that came with their home, and the garage, aren't enough to house all their possessions/vehicles.
2
I drive for a living and yes so many of my fellow drivers do sometimes badly. BUt they are not the only problem. People crossing the street against a red light increase driver frustration. Bikes going against red as they are moving in the wrong direction or ride in blind spot increase driver nervousness. I am open to stronger drover rules, but how about giving tickets to pedestrians and bicyclist. Registring bikes so they have to follow rules or even license bicycle drivers. Requiring insurance for bikers so if they hit someone the person hit has a means to get their expenses paid for. Oh and why does citibike not have helmets attached to them.
36
@Jeff It's generous to say drivers only "sometimes" drive badly. As the article pointed out, the majority of accidents and fatalities are caused by vehicle drivers, not cyclists or pedestrians. Helmets and laws aimed at cyclists and pedestrians will not stop drivers from backing into cyclists or crossing double yellow lines in attempt to pass them while they are making legal turns or tearing through crosswalks trying to beat a red light.
39
Ot doesn't matter where or how more vulnerable pedestrians cross the street. The more dangerous vehicle should always be more attentive and yield.
After the fact of fine can be level at the pedestrian but the driver should always be forced to stop.
3
Drivers looking at their phones is a major contributing factor to traffic accidents. I ride a motorcycle around New York City and it is mind boggling how many times you look into a car and see a driver paying attention to the phone instead of the road. The city is also full of bicycle riders wearing two earbuds, an activity specifically prohibited by city law. After riding motorcycles and bicycles around the five boroughs for 30 years I can attest to the need to always be fully attentive.
115
Everyone thinks the problem is some other driver.
Here's something we should all do - set your cell phone to "driving mode" so that texts get an auto reply that says the recipient is driving and will return the message later. It not only prevents a major cause of distracted driving, but also reminds other people that safe driving is a priority.
If your phone doesn't have this feature, put it out of reach when you enter the car.
Thanks for this well-researched article.
75
@DET The other part of the equation is on the part of those sending and receiving texts. If I call someone and suspect they're driving I ask. If the answer is affirmative, I end the call with a promise to call them back later (or request they return the call) when they're no longer on the road.
4