Last night, a 62 year-old man was struck and killed by a driver while waiting for the bus in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The 16-year old driver was ticketed for driving with a learner's permit without a licensed driver. No penalties have been imposed that acknowledge the fatal consequences of this dangerous and illegal behavior.

"There is a complete disconnect between the fatal outcome of this driver's actions and the insignificant penalties being imposed," says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "Time and time again, these deadly and preventable crashes meet with zero effective consequences and dangerous drivers are put back behind the wheel."

Transportation Alternatives is urging the passage of a bill mandating new penalties on drivers who kill or seriously injure "vulnerable" roadway users like pedestrians. "The Hayley Ng and Diego Martinez Law" was introduced in Albany following a crash that resulted in the deaths of two children and injury to a dozen more in Chinatown last January. The driver in that incident was never charged with any wrongdoing. The proposed law requires drivers who kill or seriously injure a pedestrian or bicyclist to appear before a judge in court, attend driver safety training and perform up to 60 days of community service.

T.A. is poised to release a report later this month that will highlight inadequate enforcement and prosecution of moving violations on New York City streets.

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