Manhattan District Attorney, Question 3

Question 3:
Data from the State DMV and City DOT show that speeding contributes to roughly 2,400 motor vehicle crashes in New York City each year, nearly three times the number attributed to drunk driving. Would your office proactively work with the NYPD to reduce these types of dangerous driving behavior?
  • Manhattan District Attorney Survey: Richard Aborn

    I believe in creating an open dialogue between the DA’s office, the NYPD and the community- so that we can create broad based solutions to preventing motor vehicle crashes. As stated above, the DA’s office will publish an annual report on the cause of death in the vehicular fatality cases it prosecutes so that the police department and Department of Transportation will have a more acute understanding of why traffic fatalities occur and therefore be prepared to take steps to prevent these fatalities.

  • Manhattan District Attorney Survey: Leslie Crocker Snyder

    Yes, absolutely. Speeding not only affects the likelihood of an accident occurring, but it also affects how fatal an accident will be. A study conducted by your organization, Transportation Alternatives, indicates that 40% of pedestrians struck by cars traveling at 30 miles per hour are killed, and 70% of pedestrians die when struck by a car traveling more than 40 miles per hour. The NYPD should expand its efforts to issue tickets for speeding violations. Installing speed cameras would help identify drivers violating the speed limit in an efficient and fair way.

    Speeding is not the only dangerous driving behavior the NYPD should address; driver inattentiveness contributes to a significant number of accidents as well. Cell phone use is a common distraction that the NYPD should continue to discourage and deter.

    As DA, I pledge to work with the NYPD to raise public awareness of the dangers of speeding and of distracted driving. This public awareness campaign will be similar to prior campaigns warning against drunk driving and encouraging the use of seat belts.

  • Manhattan District Attorney Survey: Cy Vance

    Without a doubt, yes, if elected Manhattan District Attorney I would organize the office to work proactively with the NYPD to reduce speeding offenses.

    As mentioned above, first time speeding offenders should receive sanctions that actually deter them from committing the crime again in the future, and that we use the power of the law to provide defensive driving education to those who require it. In order to achieve the goal of seriously reducing the number of 2,400 motor vehicle crashes in New York City annually, for its part, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office must be proactive in its approach and work diligently alongside the NYPD.