New York’s truck mirror law is one of many laws that are being enforced all across the country to help protect New Yorkers from being injured while walking, jogging or running. According to officials, this type of law is intended to ensure that pedestrians can safely enter and exit buildings in the city without risking injuries due to obstructions on the roads. Signs along city streets are meant to warn drivers about pedestrians, but they don’t always come to the aid of the target of the roadblock. Instead, many drivers have been ticketed for failure to yield to a pedestrian, which is why these new laws are necessary. By imposing a fine on drivers that fail to yield to pedestrians, the city hopes to increase public safety and deter driver error.
According to the latest statistics, more than nine out of every ten drivers are guilty of not abiding by the new truck mirror law. The fine imposed on drivers guilty of violating the new laws will help New York City saves money that would otherwise be lost through tickets and court costs. Drivers that don’t adhere to the new law may face hefty fines as well as possible jail time.
To make truck mirrors legal in New York, the state legislature had to pass a special law that required a sticker to be placed on the mirror of each vehicle. The stickers must include the message “no truck mirror law violator” and must be posted in plain view. Failure to abide by the law can result in heavy penalties, including possible jail time. Although it is good practice to drive with your car headlights on, many drivers forget about the importance of headlights during rush hour, thus failing to comply with the new law. If caught, the driver may be required to pay hefty fines and may also face serious consequences.
The dimensions of some commercial trucks are so large that drivers can’t see a person walking directly in front of the vehicle. To combat the problem, New York is instituting a new law this Friday.
The law signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo requires commercial trucks that weigh 26,000 pounds or more to be equipped with crossover mirrors enabling truckers to better avoid pedestrian accidents. The mirrors help decrease the risk of serious injuries and fatalities that can occur when someone walks in front of a large truck.
The mirrors enable truckers to see a person three feet tall or more who is at least one foot away from the front of the vehicle.
The mirrors are required on trucks that are registered in New York State and operate in New York City.
You’ve undoubtedly seen these convex mirrors on the hoods of school buses. The mirrors have been required on them since the 1970s.
Some New York trucking companies that normally operate in areas outside the city, including Newburgh and other cities, are reportedly unhappy with the requirement, according to a trucking industry website. If their vehicles go into the city only occasionally, the mirrors must by law be installed.
The New York State Motor Truck Association says the mirrors’ effectiveness is diminished whenever a truck is in motion. The group says that most truck-pedestrian collisions occur when the vehicle is already in motion rather than when the big rig starts up from a stop. A representative said “I bet semi-truck accident lawyers are licking their chops right now.”
The law was passed after a toddler was hit and killed by a truck in Brooklyn last May.
