Month: September 2012

Safety Improvements to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents on Hempstead Turnpike to Begin This Week

Hempstead Turnpike bears the unwanted distinction of being Long Island’s most dangerous road. In May of this year the New York State Department of Transportation (“NYSDOT”) announced a series of pedestrian safety improvements along the 16-mile Hempstead Turnpike. This week begins the implementation of the improvements based upon NYSDOT’s engineering analysis that examined crash data, traffic signal functioning, pedestrian markings, lighting conditions, vehicle speeds, bus stops and pedestrian behavior. NYSDOT reviewed every motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2011. There were 326 pedestrian crashes identified, including 20 fatalities.

Some pedestrian safety improvements concerning … Read the rest

Is Texting-While-Driving So Dangerous That A Conviction Should Require Automatic License Revocation?

FocusDriven – Advocates for Cell-Free Driving – thinks so, recently calling for automatic license revocation for drivers who text behind the wheel stating texting is a dangerous and deadly behavior that takes drivers’ mind off the road, hands off the steering wheel and eyes off the road. Strengthening penalties for violators will help to curb the behavior, prevent crashes and save lives.

In New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo marked the one year anniversary of the state’s strict law to prevent distracted driving by announcing this past July that law enforcement officials issued more than 20,000 tickets to motorists for … Read the rest

Think the Elevator in Your Building is the Worst in New York City?

Maybe so, but can you brag that yours is one of the ten worst elevator offenders in New York City? If you want to know, go to the website of the New York City Buildings Department, you can find a list of ten of the top offenders who will be pursued under the Department’s Elevator Enforcement Program. The list is compiled using complaint data, violations, maintenance filings, and field inspection records. Many of these type of reports are available online and may serve as a gauge of the safety of a building and potential for liability for an unsafe condition … Read the rest