The stories in last week’s 10 Schneps Media LI newspapers were jarring and heartbreaking.
A Laurelton man was sentenced to up to 13 1/2 years for driving nearly 100 mph while impaired by marijuana on the Southern State Parkway and crashing into another vehicle, killing three people.
A Queens man was indicted for allegedly driving impaired by cannabis at 123 mph on the Southern State Parkway, losing control of his vehicle and killing his 21-year-old sister and another 23-year-old woman, and leaving a third person with brain trauma.
The parents of Ethan Falkowitz, a Roslyn 14-year-old killed by a drunk driver in 2023, filed suits two weeks against two Plainview restaurants for allegedly overserving the man later found guilty of vehicular homicide.
The driver, going as fast as 95 mph, had crossed into incoming traffic on North Broadway in Jericho, high on alcohol and cocaine, before crashing into a car carrying four teens.
The family of Drew Hassenbein, a second Roslyn 14-year-old killed in the crash, filed a suit last week against three restaurants for allegedly overserving the driver and a friend who allegedly provided him with alcohol or cocaine.
Yes, the courts and police did their jobs in all three instances. But that is a small consolation for the families of those who died and were injured.
Even more concerning is that horrific events such as these are not out of the ordinary.
A recent investigation by Newsday found that a serious car crash occurs every seven minutes in Nassau and Suffolk counties, resulting in over 2,100 deaths and 16,000 injuries between 2014 and 2023.
These crashes, the investigation showed, are the leading cause of accidental death among residents under 20 and the second-leading cause for those under 80, following overdoses.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Nassau and Suffolk counties are among the deadliest in New York State
This is a crisis and should be treated accordingly.
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents the southern part of Nassau County, responded to the investigation by calling for federal action, describing the situation as a “national crisis.”
She urged the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to hold emergency hearings and called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate the surge and propose action plans.
That’s a start.
Diana Alati, a Bethpage mother, whose 13-year-old son was fatally struck by a reckless driver as he was riding his bicycle just a few blocks from home, recently advocated in a letter to the editor in Schneps Media LI for passage of The Speed Limiters for Repeat Offenders, now before committees in the state Senate and state Assembly.
The proposed legislation aims to enhance road safety by mandating the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices, commonly referred to as speed limiters, in vehicles of repeat traffic offenders.
Drivers who accumulate either 11 or more points on their driving record within a 24-month period or receive six or more speed camera or red-light camera violations within 12 months would be required to install a speed limiter.
Similar technical safeguards — ignition interlock devices — are already required in many states to prevent drunk driving by repeat offenders.
“With these kinds of tools, there is tremendous potential to proactively save lives and prevent injuries, targeting the most risky drivers,” Alati said.
She acknowledged that the bill would only apply to a small percentage of drivers overall. Studies done elsewhere indicate that “super speeders” are involved in a hugely disproportionate number of serious crashes.
State officials should also consider other technological ways to control this problem. Even relatively old technology, such as radar combined with cameras, could be installed on roadways to record speeding cars.
Confiscating vehicles traveling 90 miles per hour on a roadway such as the Southern State Parkway would seem to be a strong deterrent.
The state also needs to address the at least 50,000 unlicensed drivers on Long Island. They are statistically more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.
There is a need for comprehensive measures to address the factors contributing to road dangers on Long Island, including impaired and distracted driving, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient enforcement.
The mental health of drivers should be among the issues addressed.
Aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, unsafe lane changes and tailgating, have been identified as significant contributors to high fatality rates on the roads. Experts note that such behaviors have become more prevalent, particularly in the post-pandemic period, leading to an increase in serious crashes.
On just one day last week, two men were charged with murder for allegedly killing motorcyclists during what police called two separate road rage incidents. One incident involved an upstate New York man who allegedly pinned a motorcyclist into a guardrail in North Hills after an altercation. The second involved a Nassau County resident who allegedly rammed a motorcyclist from behind on a Queens roadway and intentionally ran over him when he fell.
Further deterrents to driving while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both must also be explored, as the fatalities at the beginning of this editorial.
The legal system offers criminal and civil remedies to the families of those who have lost their lives.
But it does not sufficiently address the lives so senselessly lost and the families they leave behind.
A better response would be to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place.
