Enough is Enough in Bloomingdale UWS by Caitlin Hawke

Enough is Enough

7/10/2014

A nine-year-old schoolboy. A 61-year-old woman. A 26-year-old doctor. A 73-year-old man. That's 160+ years of life snuffed out unnecessarily in traffic.

Today brought terrible news of another pedestrian's death. This time it was at W. 95th Street on West End Avenue. And while details are still emerging, I just have a lump in my throat and think enough is enough. I can't remember a time in the last 20 years when there was such a series of accidents. All heart-wrenching.

So, if you are a driver: cede the right of way to pedestrians. Don't cut them off in the crosswalk, particularly since you are probably just going to end up feet away, idling at a red light. Check your blind spots when turning.

If you are a pedestrian: cross with care, put your smartphone down, take your earbuds out and be alert. You might have the right of way, but every so often drivers make fatal errors.

If you are a jaywalker: you are jeopardizing innocent drivers and possibly other pedestrians who are trying to navigate complicated city traffic lawfully.

If you are a commercial vehicle: get off West End Avenue. You are not permitted to drive there.

If you are a cyclist: observe traffic laws.

Come on. We have to do better than this. It's too much to bear.

By Caitlin Hawke

1 Comment

Tyson White

7/10/2014 03:29:16 pm

How do jaywalkers "jeopardize innocent drivers"? That's got to be the most uninformed statement I've ever heard on the issue.

Here in NYC drivers systematically disobey the traffic laws and NYPD does practically nothing about it. A DOT study (here http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/saferoutes.shtml) found nearly 80% of drivers speeding near schools. Just tonight I saw an SUV barreling up Broadway at 97th St going nearly 50 mph. One mistake and there's a catastrophe on our hands. All the while, the 24th Precinct gives an average of only ONE speeding ticket a day. For the entire month of April 2014, in spite of all the Vision Zero talk, only ONE (yes, only ONE) speeding ticket was issued by pct 24. Other DOT studies show that speeding is the #1 factor in all deaths by cars in NYC.

The NY Post (which you link to) makes no mention of the fact that Ms. Chambers was crossing IN the crosswalk WITH the light. In other stories the Post always make sure to blame the pedestrian when they can, or even when little or no info is available. This time it's obvious that the car was turning so they just don't make mention of it.

We need to stop the victim blaming and pretending these deaths and injuries are innocent mistakes by well-meaning motorists when we still have an alarming rate of drivers who are texting while driving two-ton killing machines in densely populated neighborhoods.

The fact that a pedestrian is using a phone while crossing the street does not mean they deserve to be paralyzed for life or have a leg amputated. When a pedestrian is in the crosswalk they should feel and act no differently than when they are on the sidewalk. The streets are primarily for people, and secondarily for cars. The onus is on drivers to take extra care (above and BEYOND the law) when exercising their privilege -not right - to drive here. Instead, the majority of them (yes, and there are good stats to back that up) flout various laws with impunity.

People live in this neighborhood so that they DON'T have to drive or depend on cars. Where else can you live without a car but Manhattan? Why should they be punished by the few who choose to get around by car?

Our duty as a society is first and foremost to protect people from being victimized by others before we go after self-determined risky behavior like jaywalking. It's been well documented that the majority of pedestrians hit are the fault of the driver who acted carelessly. And by carelessly I mean doing less than the minimum the law requires.

If this is an issue you care about, please do get active and speak out. Please join organizations and groups like Families for Safes Streets, and Transportation Alternatives who are fighting to make our streets safer and more livable.

Enough is Enough

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