"This morning the City Council grilled representatives from the NYPD on why so few drivers face criminal charges after killing or maiming pedestrians and cyclists.
Here's what we do know, and it helps explain why so many drivers get away with murder:
The NYPD issued more summonses to cyclists than truck drivers last year: truckers got 14,962 moving violation summonses and 10,415 Criminal Court summonses, while cyclists got 13,743 moving violation summonses and a whopping 34,813 Criminal Court summonses. Priorities!
The AIS will only investigate accidents in which the victim dies or seems likely to die. If you get hit by a driver and end up in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, there's no AIS investigation. The patrol officers will fill out an accident report, and traffic tickets might be issued, but there will never be an in-depth investigation or follow-up.
241 pedestrians or cyclists were killed by drivers last year. Only 17 of the drivers responsible faced criminal charges.
Asked how many criminal charges were filed against drivers in non-fatal accidents, the NYPD reps said they were not aware of any."
Full article:
http://gothamist.com/2012/02/15/here...y_with_mur.php