Two Brooklyn children were struck down by aggressive, out-of-control drivers over the weekend. 11-year-old Rondell Grant was killed by a drag-racing motorist on Saturday, and 9-year-old Nacirema Brown remains in a coma on life-support after being hit on Sunday. "These types heinous traffic crimes will continue until the City and State get serious about preventing them," says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "Killer drivers, unless they are caught leaving the scene, usually just get a slap on the wrist. This sends a message that it’s okay to drive with reckless abandon."

Transportation Alternatives calls on the City and the State of New York to take five steps to dramatically reduce injuries and fatalities inflicted by killer drivers.

1. Zero Tolerance for Killer Drivers: Traffic fatalities should be prosecuted as rigorously as other violent crimes. District Attorneys must abandon guidelines that unjustly shield dangerous and deadly drivers from being held accountable.
   
   
2. Enforcement of the Law: Traffic law is not effectively enforced in NYC. The NYPD must first understand the extent of the problem by measuring how bad the enforcement gap is, which will make it much easier to win the State approval that is necessary for the city to deploy additional red light cameras, speed cameras and other automated traffic enforcement strategies.
   
   
3. Complete Investigations of All Crashes: It is vital that all fatal crashes are thoroughly and consistently investigated by the City and concluded with a formal finding of cause and culpability. Currently, only when the victim lives to provide his or her account is the report likely to acknowledge driver responsibility.
   
   
4. Accurate Reporting on All Crashes: The City must improve crash reporting for consistency and accuracy. Currently, NYPD officers are reluctant to report a bicycle or pedestrian crash they did not witness or where only light injuries were sustained.
   
   
5. Build "Complete Streets", Safe for All users: Under a "complete street" policy, speed humps, pedestrian friendly signal timing, protected bike lanes and other life-saving features would be the standard on NYC streets.

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