That is turning into an all-too-familiar incidence [“LI’s deadly roads spare no one,” Editorial, July 27]. Automobiles rushing on virtually all streets and highways, making an attempt to leap in entrance of so many automobiles. Weaving between lanes, generally even passing on the shoulder, and crashes.
The frequent denominators? Lack of enforcement and disrespect for visitors legal guidelines. We’d like extra state troopers on our parkways, extra freeway cops for Nassau and Suffolk counties. Possibly they are often augmented by sheriffs’ officers.
Scale back the velocity restrict to 50 miles per hour on the Lengthy Island Expressway and 40 mph on parkways, and no business automobiles within the left and HOV lanes.
— Charles F. Gyss, Dix Hills
After studying “Officers: 4 automobile crashes in 2 hours” [News, July 27], I used to be not likely shocked. Seeing individuals consistently driving above the velocity restrict, reckless and distracted driving, it’s no marvel accidents are occurring at an alarming charge. With little obvious police presence, they’re driving with impunity — till one thing dangerous occurs.
Solely in the future earlier, two different crashes resulted in a number of fatalities, and each had been apparently attributable to reckless driving. We’re not solely coping with a pandemic, but additionally an epidemic of reckless driving that can solely worsen except persons are compelled to drive safely.
— Charles J. Brown, Levittown
I agree with the legislators that limiting using video cameras hampers police investigations of harmful actions [“Lawmakers call for end to highway cam privacy,” News, July 28]. If reckless drivers know that their actions might result in arrest and jail time, they may curtail these behaviors that put others in danger.
Accountable drivers don’t have anything to worry from cameras that document their driving. I reject the thought of those that say it’s infringing on their privateness. As soon as we put ourselves on the roads, we’re not non-public. Blackout home windows are actually unlawful — drivers must be seen.
Harmful, careless, and reckless driving has brought on an excessive amount of tragedy. It’s time for it to finish. Drivers compete towards one another weaving out and in of visitors prefer it’s a online game.
Let’s cease coddling and defending those that trigger crashes. It’s time.
— Karen Musumeci, Levittown
Is it actually that tough to unravel rushing driver issues? Set up velocity cameras. Sure, the automobile proprietor will get the ticket, not the motive force — so what?
First offense is a warning, second is a high-quality, third is double the high-quality, after which progressively bigger fines. If the fines aren’t paid, impound the automobile. Use the fines to fund road sweepers to scrub our highways’ disgusting medians and shoulders.
These points might be solved by self-driving automobiles. I hope I survive driving till then.
— Robert Cheeseman, Wantagh
I, too, favor cameras and expertise to discourage reckless driving [“Reckless driver fixes addressed,” July 25]. I’m speaking cell cameras. Mount these cameras in unmarked automobiles akin to small SUVs or vans, and drive them on the parkways, highways, expressways and high-volume streets. Finally, with driverless automobiles, the automobiles wouldn’t even want a driver. The cameras alone might document each lane-change violation together with no-signal and solid-line infractions. They might document and doc all erratic and drunk driving, highway rage, rushing, red-light and stop-sign infractions, and extra.
It could generate greater than sufficient income to pay for itself and to restore our roads — with out elevating taxes.
However we should maintain registered automobile homeowners financially accountable except the automobile had been reported stolen. After paying greater and greater fines, registered automobile homeowners possible wouldn’t willingly enable reckless drivers to make use of their automobiles.
The most important anticipated constructive, although, could be that many extra drivers would slowly be taught to grow to be safer drivers.
— Barney Rauert, Williston Park
It was unhappy, miserable and discouraging to learn in regards to the deaths of innocents by reckless and/or DUI drivers.
It seems that our destinies are within the palms of both reckless gun homeowners or reckless drivers. We’ve allowed the 2 to grow to be epidemics.
It additionally will take eons earlier than new legal guidelines scale back the variety of visitors fatalities on Lengthy Island. Folks, particularly bartenders, must be conscious and train their share of accountability by stopping their good friend, member of the family or buyer from driving after consumption of even a minimal quantity of an intoxicating substance.
Warnings, revoking licenses and issuing fines won’t resolve this downside. Confiscate automobiles and maintain accountable and cost as criminals anybody linked to a driver who will get behind the wheel below the affect and causes a crash.
— Sharada Jayagopal, East Williston
My spouse and I go to household in New Jersey virtually each weekend for greater than 15 years. We normally drive on the Cross Island and Belt parkways. The previous few years, reckless driving has gotten so dangerous that we put in a dashcam to document the journeys in case we’re concerned in an accident. Dashing, weaving, passing from the correct lane and different harmful maneuvers are regular.
I do know there isn’t a excellent answer, however velocity cameras would undoubtedly assist management the issue. There’s nothing like getting a discover of a velocity violation and a hefty high-quality within the mail to decelerate drivers. If the automobile proprietor was not driving that day, the proprietor would possible suppose twice earlier than lending a automobile to a driver who was ticketed.
— Tom Prasso, Bellerose
Newsday has lately revealed a number of experiences of horrific highway accidents in addition to letters lamenting aggressive and reckless driving.
I believed this was a New York phenomenon. However on a current journey to Washington, D.C., I discovered this to be false.
I’m not a timid driver, however the highways had been horrifying. The typical velocity that almost all automobiles had been touring I might estimate at 70-75 mph, however for a lot of no velocity was quick sufficient, and automobiles had been tailgating and weaving out and in of visitors at greater than 80 mph. Automobiles handed on the correct shoulder at excessive speeds, and a few motorcyclists appeared to go greater than 100 mph. It was out of “Quick and Livid.”
I noticed three main accidents on I-95 and the D.C. Beltway.
Throughout this complete journey, I noticed perhaps 4 police automobiles. I don’t perceive the shortage of patrol automobiles.
Street carnage is simply going to worsen except one thing is completed.
— Jeffrey Rothburd, Dix Hills
