4 major New York City car accident hazards
Whether you’re a native New Yorker or a first-time visitor, it’s likely the phrase “Vision Zero” doesn’t mean much to you. The title of New York City’s seven year old safer streets initiative, Vision Zero is actually poorly known and minimally supported by city residents, even as 70% of those polls know someone who has been injured or killed in a car accident. Still, what does all this mean?
At its core, New York’s failure to make much progress towards the goals outlined in Vision Zero represent a serious problem with how residents and travelers navigate the city and interact with each other. And, as one of the most popular travel destinations in the country, New York City has particularly difficult hurdles to overcome because the city needs to successfully educate both residents and visitors in order to successfully reduce accident rates. That effort starts with identifying the major hazards that populate city streets.
Pedestrian Problems
As crowded with cars as New York City’s streets are, it’s important to recognize that ultimately pedestrians rule the streets and it’s important to be constantly aware of them. They may cross against the light in packs, or dodge out into the street in hurry. That being said, they’re also exceedingly vulnerable to injury in motor vehicle collisions and are regularly injured in hit and run incidents.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a problem everywhere, not just in New York City, but admittedly, there’s an awful lot to distract drivers in the Big Apple, even beyond cell phones and other typical attention snares. Especially for visitors, it’s easy to get distracted by street art and performers, stands selling snacks and sweatshirts, and everything else going on in New York City. Factoring in all of these issues, as well as the general stress of driving in such a chaotic environment, it’s all the more important that you keep a cool head and stay focused while navigating New York City streets.
Other Vehicles
As any car accident lawyer in New York City will tell you, the city’s streets are populated by a lot more than just cars and pedestrians. As such, motor vehicle accidents may also involve standard and electric bikes, scooters, pedicabs, skateboards, and an array of other modes of transit – and all drivers need to be on the lookout for all of these and then some. That’s a lot to keep track of, and many of these small vehicles swerve in and out of traffic, creating significant dangers for everyone around them.
New Hazards
New York City streets have always been crowded and difficult to maneuver, but with so many restaurants using parts of the street to host outdoor dining, things are even tighter than usual. Recently, in fact, a car crashed into an outdoor dining area, and with warmer weather coming, such occurrences could increase.
Today’s New York City may be far safer than many from other parts of the country, or than it was in the 1980s, but the streets can still be risky if you’re behind the wheel. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared before you hit the road, and to stay vigilant. And if you have doubts about driving safely in this environment? Well, that’s what the subway is for.