Vision Zero: NYC DOT, NYPD, TLC and BIC Launch Annual ‘Dusk and Darkness’ Campaign to Protect New Yorkers

Press Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

Vision Zero: NYC DOT, NYPD, TLC and BIC Launch Annual 'Dusk and Darkness' Campaign to Protect New Yorkers

Clocks Turn Back on November 3, Starting What Statistics Show Is by Far the Most Dangerous Time of the Year for Pedestrians

NYPD Will Expand Enforcement in Evening Hours When Most Crashes Happen, With a Special Focus on Failure-To-Yield and Speeding

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera and other Vision Zero agencies today announced that New York City will once again launch the annual Dusk and Darkness public-safety campaign. With Daylight Saving Time ending a week from Sunday, NYPD will expand traffic enforcement of dangerous moving violations during the evening and overnight hours that have traditionally proven most dangerous to pedestrians.

"As daylight saving time comes to an end this year, we urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant and considerate of others on our roads, whether you are driving a vehicle, riding a bike, or walking across the street," stated NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip P. Rivera. "Our police officers and traffic agents prioritize ensuring the safety of everyone on our streets and highways during this time, which has historically been the most dangerous for pedestrians."

"We know that when the sun goes down in the fall, the risks for pedestrians go up. The annual Dusk and Darkness campaign reminds drivers to slow down and remain vigilant as daylight saving time ends," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "With NYPD officers going after distracted driving and our automated cameras getting drivers to stop at red lights and slow down, drivers need to do their part as the sun sets earlier."

"Shorter days don't mean taking shortcuts when it comes to safety. As clocks move back, we will continue to move forward as a proud Vision Zero partner, assisting with traffic enforcement and educational outreach to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe," said New York City Taxi & Limousine Commissioner David Do. "Our new driver renewal course also features revamped training materials that emphasize and continue to prioritize Vision Zero, including the importance of staying extra vigilant during the fall rush hours."

"Operating safely on city streets should always be the top priority for trade waste haulers, and it is more important than ever at this time of year as driver visibility is impacted as the days get shorter," said Business Integrity Commission (BIC) Commissioner and Chair Elizabeth Crotty. "BIC is proud to support DOT and our other Vision Zero partners in promoting awareness through the annual Dusk and Darkness campaign. Through our ongoing outreach and enforcement efforts, BIC is committed to sending the message to the trade waste industry that they must obey all traffic rules and laws and will be held accountable for behavior that poses a threat to public safety."

Dusk and Darkness: Launched in 2016 and now in its ninth year, the Dusk and Darkness campaign combines proven tactics to combat elevated rates of fatal crashes. During fall evenings, rush hour occurs at a time when sunlight and visibility are dramatically and suddenly reduced, leading to some of the highest fatal crash rates of the calendar year, especially among pedestrians.

The Dusk and Darkness campaign this year includes the following initiatives:

Days of Awareness: Prior to clocks 'falling back' early Sunday morning November 3, DOT and NYPD Vision Zero Street Teams will undertake leafleting and community engagement efforts across the five boroughs to remind commuters of the increased dangers of traffic crashes during the fall evening and overnight hours.

Increased Evening and Overnight Enforcement: Starting in late October, the NYPD will increase enforcement in preparation for the Dusk and Darkness campaign. Focused on the late afternoon and evening shift, NYPD officers are deployed on highways and local streets, focusing on driving behavior that endangers vulnerable road users. Officers will enforce hazardous driving violations - with a focus on drivers who speed, disobey traffic signals, fail to yield to pedestrians, and drive distracted - to keep pedestrians and cyclists, especially older adults and children, safer in neighborhoods throughout the city. NYPD traffic enforcement agents will also improve lines of sight by focusing enforcement on vehicles that are double-parked, obstructing crosswalks, and blocking bike and bus lanes.

Addressing Reduced Driver Perception as Daylight Saving Time Ends: As the end of daylight saving time approaches a week from this Sunday, city agencies and other partners will use social media channels to alert drivers to the dangers of lower visibility, while encouraging them to follow the 25-mile-per-hour citywide speed limit and to yield to pedestrians and cyclists throughout the season. Starting today, DOT will also prominently feature the Dusk and Darkness campaign's imagery on digital billboards found at both the Whitehall and St George Staten Island Ferry terminals.

Regulated Trade Waste Driver Safety: As New York City's regulator of an industry that does much of its collection work during overnight hours, BIC will send a targeted notification to all private waste haulers reminding them of the importance of using extra caution when driving as daylight saving time ends. BIC investigators will be active on the street, conducting truck stops and issuing violations as necessary for violations of all vehicle and traffic safety rules.

For-Hire Vehicle Driver Safety: TLC will visit areas frequented by for-hire vehicle drivers to remind them of the importance of using extra caution during low-visibility periods, including by driving 25 miles per hour unless otherwise posted. TLC will also reiterate this message to drivers and passengers via social media.

One of the images that will be featured on digital billboards starting today through November 3.
Credit: NYC DOT

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.