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necb.com
DA: Throw book
at bad motorists
FILE PHOTO
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance is pushing
for stricter punishments for “dangerous drivers.”
BY VINCENT BARONE
Drivers involved in crashes causing deaths and serious
injuries could face stiffer penalties under newly
announced legislation.
State lawmakers and Manhattan District Attorney
Cy Vance unveiled the “Vehicular Violence Accountability
Act” Tuesday, which would create four new
offenses under state law relating to the most serious
traffi c serious crashes and tweak existing laws with
the intent on fi lling loopholes that allow for dangerous
motorists to avoid punishment.
“We have an epidemic of vehicular violence in the
city today… a New Yorker or a visitor today is as likely
to be killed by a car as they are to be murdered with a
knife or a gun,” said Vance, who oversaw the drafting
of the legislation based on a report from a state Grand
Jury he empaneled.
The act would establish a new class A misdemeanor
for “Death by Vehicle” when a driver fails to exercise
“due care” while also committing another traffi c
infraction leading to the death of another person. It
would also create a class B misdemeanor under the
same circumstances for a driver who seriously injures
another person.
Those two charges would be upgraded to a class E
felony and a class A misdemeanor, respectively, under
a series of other circumstances, including if the driver
knows their license is suspended; has a string of recent
vehicular convictions; was driving more than 20
mph above the posted speed limit or violates more
than one moving violation.
The legislation comes as the city’s traffi c safety program,
Vision Zero, has experienced a tragic uptick in
cycling and pedestrian deaths in 2019 after several
years of continually dropping fatalities.
Buffalo State Senator Timothy Kennedy, a sponsor
of the legislation and the Transportation Committee
chair, said the act would complement the design and
educational elements of Vision Zero.
“We also all need to make sure law enforcement
offi cials have the resources and tools they need at
their disposal in order to effectively prosecute those
who fail to follow traffi c laws designed to keep people
safe,” said Kennedy.
Advocates and the de Blasio administration supported
the effort, arguing that state laws have led to
low arrest rates in fatal crashes.
22 October 31, 2019 Schneps Media
/NECB.COM
/necb.com