12-Year-Old Tragically Run Over Near Brooklyn Home, Inspiring Mother’s Quest to Improve America’s Roads
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In a heart-wrenching incident, 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein was fatally injured by a speeding van near his family’s Brooklyn home while walking to soccer practice in October 2013. This devastating loss prompted his grieving mother, Amy Cohen, to take proactive steps towards preventing such tragedies from reoccurring on American roads.
Amy Cohen, a 60-year-old social worker, spearheaded the creation of Families for Safe Streets, an organisation dedicated to advocating for safer road regulations and infrastructure. Cohen’s relentless efforts have yielded remarkable results, including instrumental involvement in reducing the speed limit on New York City streets from 30 mph to 25 mph, resulting in a reported 25% decrease in pedestrian fatalities within a year.
The exponential rise in fatal road accidents in the United States has spurred Cohen and her organisation to intensify their advocacy for road safety reforms. Tragic incidents, similar to Sammy’s, are on the rise, with statistics from the Governors Highway Safety Association indicating a 48% increase in fatalities over the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute this surge to various factors, such as driver distractions and the prevalence of large, heavy vehicles on American roads.
Echoing Cohen’s sentiments, Professor Wes Marshall, a civil engineering expert, asserts that the road safety crisis is not insurmountable. He emphasises the importance of prioritising pedestrian safety and implementing strategies like the Vision Zero initiative adopted by over 60 US cities, targeting the elimination of traffic-related fatalities through comprehensive road system redesign.
Families for Safe Streets has been at the forefront of transformative road safety campaigns, advocating for measures like speed safety cameras in high-risk zones and the overhaul of dangerous thoroughfares across cities. One notable success is the revitalisation of Queens Boulevard in New York City, previously notorious as “the boulevard of death,” now redesigned to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety.
A recent initiative by Families for Safe Streets, the “Stop Super Speeders” campaign, has gained momentum in several states by proposing technology that restricts extreme speeding in repeat-offender vehicles. Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Washington state have already implemented this measure in a bid to curb reckless driving behaviour and enhance road safety.
Amy Cohen remains resolute in her mission to prevent further road fatalities, underscoring the urgency for political leaders to enact tangible solutions and prioritise road safety. She emphasises the availability of viable strategies and urges policymakers to exercise the necessary political will to implement life-saving measures promptly.
The unwavering dedication of Amy Cohen and Families for Safe Streets is a testament to the power of advocacy and community-led initiatives in effecting positive change. Their efforts serve as a beacon of hope amidst a concerning surge in road accidents, urging society to collectively prioritise road safety and avert further tragedies.