Nothing will bring back their loved ones, but the families of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents said an ambitious new speeding crackdown is a step in the right direction.
“We’re thrilled to hear that more attention is being given to pedestrian safety,” said William Shear, 31, whose father, Alexander, was hit by a bus last month near the notoriously dangerous Upper West Side intersection of 96th Street and Broadway.
“Nothing will bring my father back, but it’s good to hear that less people will be killed because of these new policies,” he added.
Michele Clarke, whose niece, Renee, 16, was killed by a tractor-trailer on the Upper East Side while walking home from work last summer, said, “Any effort that anyone makes to save a life is a plus.”
Clarke said she’s happy the mayor is seeking stiffer penalties for reckless drivers who kill pedestrians.
“The laws need to be stronger and there needs to be stronger penalties,” she said. “If you’re a driver who kills someone, you can’t just say sorry. That’s not going to bring back a person’s loved one.”
Amy Cohen, whose son, Sammy Cohen Eckstein, 12, was fatally struck by car in Park Slope last fall, believes her son would still be alive had these policies been in effect sooner.
“It’s a moral imperative to make safer the streets of New York City,” she said.