Friends,

Making our streets safer for everyone, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists has always been a priority of mine.

That’s why I strongly support the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act, a package of eight bills that will help make our streets safer, slow speeding traffic, hold reckless drivers accountable, improve driver education, and promote awareness of the dangers of bigger, heavier vehicles.

Last week, we passed several of these bills, including my legislation to reform driver education by requiring improved pedestrian and cyclist safety as part of the DMV curriculum. We also passed legislation to hold reckless drivers accountable by finally eliminating the “rule of two,” which requires a driver who seriously injures or kills someone to break at least two traffic laws to be held criminally liable. This judge-made rule lets reckless drivers avoid any accountability.

But we have more work to do, including passing my Vehicle Safety Rating and Labeling Act. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrians struck by SUVs and other large vehicles are 3x more likely to die than pedestrians struck by sedans or smaller cars. In the last four years, the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities involving SUVs in NYC have increased 54% and 67%, respectively, while the number involving sedans and other small vehicles have decreased by 30% and 54%.

Bloomberg: Should SUVs Get a Pedestrian Warning Label?

This legislation would create a first-in-the-nation 5-star vehicle safety rating system that would rate every vehicle sold in New York not just based on how safe it is for passengers, but also how safe they are for pedestrians and cyclists who also share the same roadways. This bill will make car buyers aware of the risks of SUVs and trucks, which pose particular risks to pedestrians and cyclists due to their height and poor visibility.

We can’t get these bills passed without your support. If you believe that we need to do more to improve street safety and want to see New York take bold, innovative action to reduce traffic deaths, please support our campaign for a New York State that is safe for all.