NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The NYPD will up its traffic enforcement during evenings and overnights as the city launches its annual campaign to combat an increase in accidents when the days grow shorter and the clocks “fall back.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the return of the “Dusk and Darkness” campaign on Thursday. Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2 a.m., meaning it will get darker an hour earlier in the evening.
In addition to increased NYPD enforcement, the city also looks to bring awareness to drivers, as well as pedestrians and cyclists who are at increased risk this time of year.
Officials from the NYPD, Department of Transportation, and Taxi & Limousine Commission warned that there has also been an increase in reckless driving in the overnight hours during the pandemic.
Officials said data shows that Dusk and Darkness, launched in 2016, has improved safety on city streets, with the average annual number of fatalities during evenings and overnights declining by 18% in the five years since the campaign began.
In announcing the relaunch, de Blasio and city officials also urged lawmakers in Albany to pass a bill allowing New York City to operate its speed cameras 24/7, saying the “legislation will hold dangerous drivers accountable and save lives.”
Here’s what the Dusk and Darkness campaign includes:
• Day of Awareness: DOT and NYPD Street Teams spread out at high-visibility locations across all five boroughs Thursday morning to remind commuters of the increased dangers of traffic crashes during the fall evening and overnight hours. The teams will also be visible in the evening.
• Increased Evening/Nighttime Enforcement: NYPD will focus enforcement resources on speeding and failure to yield. Precincts will increase their on-street presence around sunset hours on high-crash corridors for both cyclists and pedestrians.
• Daylight Saving Awareness: Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday. As with previous years, Vision Zero Task Force agencies and partners will use social media channels to alert drivers to the dangers of lower visibility, while encouraging them to follow the 25 MPH citywide speed limit, and yield to pedestrians and cyclists. DOT will feature the driver-targeted Vision Zero “Signs” awareness campaigns on bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks, and print advertising.
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