The Southern State Parkway in Nassau County has seen 1,722 car crashes in the last two years. With 16 fatalities within that time, it is clear how the road has earned the nickname “Blood Alley.”
The road itself was constructed a century ago, intended for much less capacity than it sees now as a highly trafficked parkway. Wrong-way crashes distracted and aggressive driving, and trucks hitting overpasses are just a few of the types of tragedies that Blood Alley has hosted over the years. Many believe that the construction of the road itself is to blame for the numerous accidents, while others point to dangerous drivers as the cause of the road’s fatal nature.
New York lawmakers acknowledge both poor construction and driver behavior as causes of the high number of crashes on Southern State Parkway, proposing a new solution to the problem as crashes continue.
Named “Safety on the Southern State” or “S.O.S.,” the new bill being proposed in Albany would designate a safety corridor on the parkway with special signage or technology warning of a danger zone.
Safety corridors are not a new concept, with current usage in the state and nationwide. However, statistics point to the effectiveness of this tactic waning over time as drivers get used to the signage and start to ignore it. Because of the historical trend of decreasing effectiveness of safety corridors, the S.O.S. plan includes enforcement and doubling of fines over time along the parkway to ensure that the road stays safe after the initial implementation of the corridor.
Lawmakers are hopeful that the implementation of the safety corridor will save lives, correcting the dangerous driver behavior that leads to fatal crashes on the Southern State Parkway.
Dangerous drivers and poor road conditions are not limited to the Southern State Parkway. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, the experienced attorneys at Goldstein and Bashner may be able to help you determine the best steps forward in a potential case.
The last thing you want to worry about after a car accident is a legal headache, which is why our dedicated lawyers work hard to fight for you and get your life back to normal as soon as possible. Reach out today to see what our skilled legal team could do for you.
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