Citing pedestrian safety, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a new bill on Monday that would remove blind spots in front of large trucks driven in New York City. The law requires convex mirrors be installed on all trucks with a maximum gross weight of 26,000 pounds.
“Convex mirrors are an effective tool to protect pedestrians from accidents caused by blind spots,” Cuomo said. “This law will allow truck operators to see pedestrians or objects directly in front of them and will offer new safety protections to many New Yorkers.”
The bill was sponsored by state Senator Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) and Assemblywoman Joan Millman (D-Brooklyn). Various versions of this law have been proposed since 1994 when two boys were killed by a truck in Brooklyn, said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
A new push to get the bill passed began in May when a four-year-old boy on his tricycle was struck and killed. According to reports, Moses Englender was riding around his home in Williamsburg when an Arnold’s meat truck ran over him. Witnesses said the truck continued for nearly 200 feet before the driver realized he had struck and was dragging the boy.
Locally, 12-year-old Frederick Endres was killed by a truck last summer. Endres was riding his bicycle on Eliot Avenue near Fresh Pond Road when a truck making a left turn hit him.
The law’s sponsors hope that many of these tragic accidents can now be avoided. “”With these new mirrors we will hopefully see fewer tragic incidents that have occurred due to truck drivers’ inability to properly see directly in front of their vehicles,” Millman said.
by Eric Yun