NYPD's Pedestrian/Cyclist Vs. Car Accident Investigation

[j44ke]

In which bureaucratic philosophy creates a blindness that is blind even to its blindness:

Here's Why Drivers Still Get Away With Murder In NYC: Gothamist

Gothamist is not the paper of record, as the saying goes, but they've actually been pretty good at following this issue in NYC. Note that the lawyer for the department in charge of investigating accidents in which a car hits/injures/kills a pedestrian or cyclist admits that she does not know the case law that pertains to accidents in which a car hits/injures/kills a pedestrian.

[Bobonli]

Interesting. I'd like to see the enforcement data for cell phone use violations. Another "discretionary" enforcement item that seems to be mostly ignored and must pose a significant threat to pedestrians and cyclists alike. My guess is that the police are counting on injured/killed victims to use the civil arm of the courts to find remedies. Sort of "No sign of obvious wrongdoing so go get your own attorney and figure it out."

[j44ke]

Interesting. I'd like to see the enforcement data for cell phone use violations. Another "discretionary" enforcement item that seems to be mostly ignored and must pose a significant threat to pedestrians and cyclists alike. My guess is that the police are counting on injured/killed victims to use the civil arm of the courts to find remedies. Sort of "No sign of obvious wrongdoing so go get your own attorney and figure it out."

I think that is exactly right. On one level, that's sort of a pragmatic approach, but it does nothing for behavior modification. And it isn't really policing. More like street sweeping. Picking up the pieces. Literally.

Statistics for speeding tickets in the 5 boroughs are astonishingly low. Some precincts have numbers in the single digits.

[EricKeller]

what's shocking is that it's not illegal to drive on the sidewalk. So if you lose control of your car and drive onto the sidewalk maiming or killing someone, it's just an accident. Maybe if they emphasized driving safety like they've gone crazy persecuting cyclists there wouldn't be hundreds of dead pedestrians every year and multitudes more of injured pedestrians. Dead pedestrians barely make the news in NYC unless there is something special about the victim.

[chasea]

It's total chaos.
It's only a presence; an illusion of control keeping everyone calm.
It's almost completely lawless for some.
And it's the white man's world.

Except for cyclists, of course.

[prcrstn8]

Yesterday I saw someone turn the wrong way into a one-way avenue while texting - took the path of least resistance, the bike lane, of course. Stopped and backed out without killing anyone, but still.

[lukasz]

Yesterday I saw someone turn the wrong way into a one-way avenue while texting - took the path of least resistance, the bike lane, of course. Stopped and backed out without killing anyone, but still.

I've seen that, too, on more than one occasion. There's also this one triangular square at Morton Street and 7th Ave that creates a short one way stretch of Morton but I see people going the wrong way down it all the damn time. Truly amazing what drivers get away with in NYC.

[prcrstn8]

Please, don't get me started.