Statistics show that speeding does very little to get you to your destination faster, particularly as a city driver, where most of your trips are relatively short. However, speeding does increase your chances of getting into an accident and/or receiving a ticket, which can cut deeply into your profit margins. This month, we offer some tips on the dangers of speeding, as well as info on how you can play an important role as the “eyes and ears” of the city.
Speeding Accidents
- • The faster a vehicle is traveling, the greater the risk for a fatality or serious injury in an accident.
- • Always obey the posted speed limit, and make an extra effort to become familiar with the speed limits and traffic laws in areas you frequent.
- • Frequently check your surrounding area using your rear- and side-view mirrors to keep an eye out for other drivers that may be speeding or behaving recklessly.
- • Be prepared to take defensive and evasive actions should you observe a vehicle speeding in your immediate vicinity, or even if they are approaching quickly from father away.
- • Speeding and unsafe lane changing not only causes accidents, but road rage incidents.
- • Speeding violations can add points to your driver’s license.
- • Drivers with a history of excessive speeding violations can have their insurance rates increased or policy cancelled.
- • TLC-regulated drivers who speed in New York City with passengers in their vehicles often receive customer complaints, and can be reported to the TLC.
- • Drivers delayed in traffic en route to a radio-dispatched call should notify the passenger or base, and not speed to try and compensate for their lateness.
- • Simply stated: DO NOT SPEED and AVOID THOSE WHO ARE SPEEDING.
You Can Be a Hero: Be the Eyes & Ears of NYC
As someone who spends much of their workday on New York City streets, you can be an important factor in solving crimes and even possibly preventing terrorism.
- • Airport terminals, ports and busy city landmarks are among the highest risk areas for possible terror attacks. You can be a valuable asset to enforcement agencies – including the NYPD, FBI and Port Authority.
- • Please keep an eye out for suspicious activities – and if you “see something, say something” by calling the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit tips at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
- • As a driver, you may witness more traditional crimes on any given day as well. It can be dangerous to intervene, but if you see someone being assaulted or robbed, immediately contact the same Crime Stoppers Hotline listed above by phone, website or text.
- • Your assistance may help keep all of us and our families safe. Our industry should be participants, not just bystanders, in matters of our great city’s security.
Defensive Driving
As a quick reminder: The National Safety Council notes that “Defensive Driving” should be used as criteria for determining “preventability.” A preventable accident is one in which the driver failed to exercise every reasonable precaution to prevent an accident or incident. If the driver contributed even as much as 1% to the cause of the accident, it should be considered preventable. The preventability of all vehicle accidents should be included as a permanent entry on a company’s accident records, and in a driver’s personnel file. This will help track and hopefully reverse trends of negligence or bad behaviors.
