Feel like people driving crazy trying to make up lost time

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/1/10/driving-went-down-fatalities-went-up-heres-why

Definitely just an anecdote, but is anyone else here familiar with 4th Ave in Sunset Park? I bike along there pretty regularly. It was safer a few years ago. I have no idea what kind of maintenance they have to do there so regularly, but they tear up a street, repave it, and then don't reinstate the semi-protected bike lanes (parking in the middle of the street with a small buffer) but only for that stretch. So you end up with bike lane, bike lane, shared lane, bike lane, shared lane, where the state of the street varies block by block. After a section of the street is repaved, everyone just parks where the bike lane should be again. This can't be doing much for safety. If you're going to repave the street...finish it! Put it back how you found it! I don't understand what the point of all this is. (There's a similar situation in my neighborhood nearby, not in Sunset Park, as well.)

A long way to go towards Vision Zero. Very glad ped and cyclist deaths are down but its not good enough. And double digit number of children killed is unacceptable.

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Lot of people still living in “covid haze”. Not paying attention, either walking or driving. Also more people on the street and larger/ heavier vehicles driving more quickly (in general)

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It's not a disregard for traffic rules, it's a financial obligation to get everywhere as quickly as possible to make a living wage.

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yes that completely explains the spike in pedestrians getting hit by cars. That's some PhD level analysis.

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Is it a coincidence that there was a state law enacted in 2020 which made vehicular manslaughter not bail-eligible?

Enforcement Zero

....... and in doing so ignoring traffic laws, I don't understand how one cancels out the other.

Because you're trying to moralize it as they are some rule breakers that need to be brought in to justice. They are just living their life as demanded by their job.

Because they have no choice, it's not their fault it's the fault of the companies.

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It seems to me that a fair portion of drivers in NYC have decided to completely ignore traffic rules or any sort of normal behavior on roads. I've seen more people drive in the wrong lane, speeding, not stopping at stop signs, ignoring red lights and all other manner of traffic offenses in the past couple of years than in the last 20 years of driving and walking in and around NYC. Coincidentally, or anecdotally, more aptly put, I see this behavior more often from people with the newest NYS plates.

Interestingly enough, I also see little to no enforcement of any sort of road rules anymore. Even easy as fuck tickets, like ticketing 53' trailers, are not being done (as evident by the massive proliferation of 53' trailers all over the city. We all know they're not carrying non-divisible loads and didn't file any sort of plan with the NYC DOT for entering and exiting the city).

This number is still relatively low compared to other major cities across America. As long as you pay attention you’re fine.

They absolutely have a choice are you insane? My job asked that I commit crimes is not a defense.

As someone who drives a lot- I've noticed people have become extremely poor drivers since covid.

This isn't something I'm imagining, it's palpable and significantly noticable.

It's a weird phenomenon that I truly cannot wrap my head around. Trust me, I've tried.

I could theoretically understand during the pandemic, and maybe immediately after since some people weren't driving for a few months/a year- but those days are long long behind us.

The amount of people who seem to be driving in a total and complete daze concerns me from a societal standpoint. It's not just people driving fast either, if anything it's the exact opposite that I personally notice.

Don't take this the wrong way and confuse what I'm saying with me complaining that people are driving a "safe speed" or that I'm an aggressive driver or anything. That's not what I'm saying at all.

Some people drive so fucking slow now. Zero awareness of their surroundings. Legit like they're zombies or their brain is suddenly incapable of processing what it sees and responding with inputs to their vehicle controls. It's like 70% of drivers on the road suddenly became stupid during the pandemic or something.

This is noticable in the city, but due to the perpetual congestion, it's way more apparent in the suburbs and NJ highways for example. The amount of traffic delays due to shitty slow drivers on the same roads I've driven for 15 years has increased almost double in some areas. The same green light that 20 people used to be able to get though, now 10 do. That kind of thing.

I think this has alot to do with the increase in accidents. People who do want to drive normally get extremely frustrated and overcompensate by driving too fast. Recipe for disaster.

Just my .02

lmao, because it was a huge priority before bail reform. Stop trying to shoehorn in your little pet peeve.

TL;DR summary: According to the experts, the pandemic has “made U.S. drivers more reckless — more likely to speed, drink or use drugs and leave their seat belts unbuckled.” This deadly and damaging behavior is due to “widespread feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression” that has caused fatalism to seep in, as if Americans are welcoming a brush with death.

On par for the course, It’s not just NYC, traffic fatalities have risen across the nation.

The other day some idiot was turning the corner while we had the light on the crosswalk. He almost ran over 2 girls but luckily he was going slow enough that they reacted before he could hit them. We all started yelling at the asshole and all he did was look pissed at us.

So many anti-social drivers out there.

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There are more deaths on evehicles because there are more evechicles. There is zero evidence it's due to their 'disregard for the law.' Condering there have been more pedestrian fatalities through Oct this year than in 2017 and 2018 and a massive increase in hit and run fatalities...evidence points to drivers disregarding the law at higher rates since the number of drivers is up to prepandemic levels.

They barely make a living wage and you want them to cut that down even more?

So we are ready to dismiss the rise in traffic fatalities as a nationwide trend, therefore an issue people in NYC should just accept as a fact of life?

Yes? I don[t want them doing dangerous acts that could result in felony's where others could loose life and limb. I don't think that's controversial.

Then you have to change how they are paid, their job requires them to do this.

I’d like to add driving the wrong way on one-way streets. I don’t recall seeing that nearly as often a few years ago, but now I regularly see drivers do it to avoid driving an extra block. It’s like a bunch of people collectively decided their convenience overrides traffic law.

Of course you should be concerned, but the national trend would suggest it’s not largely due to local political decisions.

Same as crime. Your not-so-subtle implication of hypocrisy is broke.

No they need to find another job and eventually the economy would catch up. You can't absolve people of personal responsibility for engaging in felonies that result in serious injury or death.

I really don't understand why the US won't invest in nationwide infrastructure that would allow us to become less car-centric. Even if it's expensive, even if it takes a while, it's better to start yesterday.

thank you, i totally agree.

It’s crazy to drive these days because people are such bad drivers. Every single light people are just sitting on their phones when the light turns green. People run you off the road when they need to change lanes. People don’t know how to drive at 4 way stop intersections, they just sit there. People trying to jog across the street when the crosswalk light is red and tons of traffic backed up trying to get through.

It’s just insane.

Combined with the occasional 90 mph lanes-are-optional psychos it's a mine field out there. Stay safe!

Lol you know how many of these are freak ‘accidents’, when the driver comes out of no where? You can pay attention all you want. Tell that to the dead woman who was walking on a sidewalk and pinned against fencing due to a driver jumping the curb.

Maybe something to do with the mass disabling event that is happening as a result of rampant covid infections that people are trying to pretend aren’t serious or happening

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I legit get scared crossing streets these days. The roads are chaos. Between the cars and bikes and scooters… none of whom abide by basic traffic laws, of course pedestrians are at risk.

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I see more U-turns, even though there's a one-way street every other block that makes it much safer and easier to turn around and go the other way.

When it's nationwide, it doesn't mean that there aren't solutions, but it does mean that we know what didn't cause it.

Literally the last paragraph of the linked article that you clearly didn't read: >And it should compel all of us, especially the experts who work on traffic safety, to get beyond the safety narratives we are comfortable with to something that will actually save lives.

The automobile industry, land ownership issues, and the unwillingness of elected officials in long-term projects are a few reasons why.

Ban cars.

Yet no one talks about being tough on traffic.

The number of wrongdoings you can pull off in front of cops whether you're in a car or on a bicycle/moped/motorcycle is pretty fascinating. There is almost zero enforcement.

Was driving on the Belt Parkway at night time near Sheepsheadbay area, when I saw Mr. Speed was cutting in and out of lanes. Got stuck behind three cars in each lane going relatively same speed, tailgates a car in the far right lane and then abruptly cuts into a merging lane on the right just as a car was entering...That would be Mr. Speed #2 because he got so offended he had to brake extra for a millisecond, he rev up to 80+ to catch up to Mr. Speed, cutting each and every other car that Mr. Speed had past...just to flash his high beams constantly when he caught up.

That was probably cops heading home from work.

This is also a very good hypothesis for the crime wave.

And a very good reason to think the approach that most politicians are bringing to the crime wave - more cops more cops more cops - won't work.

I’d like to add that it feels like a state of lawlessness regardless of my driving, because of the double parking on every road. It’s like an obstacle course to drive anywhere and that sort of sets the stage.

This is a big part of the problem.

There is little fear of penalty if a driver decides to be a turd and run lights or act super aggressively, speed, swerve, not allow pedestrians to cross, weave in and out of traffic, do donuts in a random intersection, close down bridges so they can showboat.

Let's get back to setting up random traffic stops. Ticket the general idiots, bring along 10 NYPD tow trucks and confiscate all the ridiculous violators. Then auction off the cars, minus the illegal junk, and use that for more police training and traffic enforcement.

Pedestrian deaths have not jumped dramatically this year, Last years pedestrian deaths didn't even exceed previous years. Did you not look at the data?

They started skirting the law during the COVID lockdowns because the roads were largely empty. At that time, you could get away with it.

More and more police forces across the country have adopted do-not-pursue policies over the last couple of years. That means anyone willing to skirt the law and run a red, drive the wrong way in a one way, etc. can just... flee the cops. It's just more law-skirting, after all.

You said as long as you pay attention you’re fine. Which is not true. There’s no arguing this.

NYC is actively making life for car owners harder so it’s not surprising that drivers are more frustrated.

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There were no people and even fewer cars on the road for months…. People forgot how to act. Both as drivers and pedestrians….

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Dude yes! I drive for a living and I see so MANY people driving too slow to the point that it's unsafe. Like gingerly going 15 mph not noticing that the light is about to change so they go slow thru the intersection. Not to mention the traffic it creates.

This is it right here, but applied to every social interaction/situation and interpersonal behavior. The "social contract" was frayed before the pandemic, now it's on fire.

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/10/20/safety-last-dot-admits-to-putting-cars-before-people-on-brooklyns-fourth-avenue/

I'm fuming. Even if your goal is to not delay drivers, get rid of parking! Not the bike lane! If those cars are parked there illegally, make sure they can't! (I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, so this is not me shooting the messenger.)

Oh please.

Bail is classism.

The rich paid bail.

The BMW owner who thinks he owns the road? MADE FUCKING BAIL.

Its like you dont know what the fuck you're talking about.

why isn’t this in the cRiME THReaD???

Oh pLeAsE

Yeah, that's about the level of intelligence I expected from someone with your moronic views.

Block.

Traffic laws here have always felt more like guidelines than true rules. Double parking plays into this. But also, more recently, so do the mopeds and electric scooters that run reds and go the wrong way down one-way streets, not to mention the instacart bikers pulling a trailer with the footprint of a small sedan riding any which way they please. I think all of this makes drivers feel like they are able to break the rules too.

Stop trying to make excuses for the pineapple police

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Their wives aren't going to beat themselves

SUV driver was probably a cop who was recognized as one of their own by the cops standing around.

People treat my town’s road like the Daytona motor speedway

Yes 100%. Driving home at night on the gowanus you’re almost guaranteed to come across someone or several someones going 35mph in the left lane for literally no reason, and then combine that with someone in spray-primered Altima with Texas plates that wants to go 90 through everyone and you have complete fucking chaos and I never remember it being like this so consistently until relatively recently.

Usually when I see people going the wrong way on a one way street it’s someone on a bike.

why are they downvoting you, you'e 40% right

Agree . I almost got hit today when walking on a walk light . It has happened more recently than eve before.

Happens nearly everyday . I so often see cars driving on the walk light or refusing to stop at stop signs . So many times I have nearly been hit . Then they get angry if I give them the finger after they nearly hit me .

I see somebody almost hit by a car a few times a day

Lots of people started driving during the pandemic. They shouldn't, bc they don't know what the fuck they are doing and frustrate everyone else on the road.

This happened to me last week with a bunch of other people also crossing! We were already crossing (we had the cross light) and out of nowhere some guy goes to turn into the street. He broke HARD right in front of the group of us. We all yelled at him and he gave us two middle fingers and laughed, mocking that he could have killed us all. Some drivers out there are complete a-holes.

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One thing that I find frustrating is that if one person gets hurt on the subway, it makes headlines nationwide and people question whether the Subway is safe. Car injuries and deaths are noticeably higher and no one bats an eye.

Same

And yet this isn't sensationalized like subway crime. Hmm