Statement by NYC Comptroller Lander on Mayor Adams’ Vision Zero Rollbacks

 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander responds to the rise in injuries and deaths caused by the abandonment of Vision Zero policies by Mayor Eric Adams. THE CITY’s recent reporting showed a spike in car crashes caused by New York City Police Department chases, injuring 315 people and killing 7 people. Meanwhile, the Adams Administration allowed Lander’s Reckless Driver Accountability Act to expire while putting nothing in its place. Traffic crashes killed 193 people and seriously injured another 2,338 more during the first nine months of 2024, higher than eight of the past ten years.

“Mayor Adams has abandoned Vision Zero, and more people are dying and being seriously injured in traffic crashes as a result. Almost every day, a New Yorker is killed in a crash on our streets. And things are worst in the Bronx and Queens, where serious injuries are up more than 20% from 2022.

“We already knew that the Adams Administration has utterly failed to meet its commitments to install new bike lanes, bus lanes, intersection daylighting, and other measures proven to reduce crashes and save lives.

“This week, we learned that under Mayor Adams, the NYPD is engaging in dangerous, TV-style car chases with shocking frequency — and seven people have died and 315 more have been injured as a result. The NYPD’s unprecedented spike in car crashes exacerbates lawlessness and disorder on our streets and achieves nothing to change driver behavior or keep New Yorkers safe.

“Meanwhile, the Mayor allowed the Reckless Driver Accountability Act – whose creation I spearheaded in the City Council to hold the most dangerous drivers accountable – to expire with nothing to replace it. New data out this week shows that holding reckless drivers accountable works. The Center for Justice Innovation’s new study examined the impact of its Driver Accountability Program, the model for my legislation, and the results are clear: participants in the program were consistently less likely to reoffend.

“We need a Vision Zero reset that prioritizes public safety, better infrastructure, and proven tools for reducing crashes. That means fulfilling the vision of the Streets Master Plan, reviving and strengthening the Reckless Driver Accountability Act, reducing reckless car chases by the NYPD, and taking a targeted, data-driven approach that lowers rates of traffic violence and saves New Yorkers’ lives.”