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Preventing Traffic Fatalities

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Almost everyone in New York knows that the homicide rate in New York, thanks to effective policing and prosecution, has declined to around 500 homicides a year from a peak of more than 2200 homicides in 1990. Mayors and police commissioners, rightfully, tout these numbers and New York's status as the safest big city in America.


At a time when the City's Transportation Department is taking steps to make New York City more bike and pedestrian friendly, it is imperative that our law enforcement community keep pace.




These ADAs will be trained to work closely with family members and witnesses. In cases like these, it is important that family members and witnesses be closely involved in the case, so they understand what is going on at every stage of the process.

The goal, of course, should be to minimize traffic fatalities and realize the vision of a sustainable city where every New Yorker gets around safely on foot, on two wheels or four. But prosecuting drivers after a traffic fatality, while necessary, does not lower the number of traffic fatalities. So we need to be ready to prosecute other traffic crimes as well. Drivers need to know that if they are driving recklessly, they will be stopped. Hopefully, this will limit reckless driving - helping to lower the overall number of traffic fatalities.

