By Chris Genovese, the “Marketing Guy”
As a motorcycle rider, I sometimes feel alone with the thought that far too many drivers on our roads these days are reckless and/or aggressive and angry idiots. On all of Western New York’s “busy” roads, and in the city of Buffalo especially, I’m continually experiencing and witnessing traffic situations that defy logic and offer undue danger to innocent onlookers and other drivers.
One baffling and disturbing case in point is the phenomenon of drivers passing school buses that are stopped with their warning lights flashing. No doubt, if you’re a Western New Yorker, you’ve probably heard about this or seen it yourself. These dangerous drivers illegally pass busses that are about to unload students without regard for safety or the laws, so as taxpayers, we’ve had to invest in cameras to issue tickets and try to stop this terrible trend. In Buffalo alone, in just the first three weeks of their school bus stop arm camera program, 2,250 tickets were issued worth more than $500,00 in fines! According to David Hills, the Buffalo Public Schools COO, they have 460 buses in their fleet, each equipped with cameras, and on average these violations are happening to every single bus at least one time per week!
Sitting on my couch on January 7th, I ended up feeling seen and validated by reporting from Lewiston, NY with Kristen Mirand on WKBW-TV. Her shocking report said the village police department has seen a dramatic increase, year over year, in the number of tickets (+ 105%) , arrests (+ 51%), and calls that they receive (+ 49%).
“The traffic has just been alarming,” according to Chief Frank Previte.
Lewiston officers have stepped up patrols and are using license plate readers to keep up with the increase in complaints about reckless driving, which has led to more traffic stops. And officers like Previte have noticed more aggressive driving behaviors than they have ever seen before.
“I’ve never seen driving like I have in my 30 years in law enforcement, like I have since COVID. It’s just, it’s been a different story. I’ve had instances where I’m driving in a marked police car and people are passing me and I’m doing the speed limit. That takes nerve!”
Chief Previte also talked about bail reform as a factor in the recent trend of terrible driving.
“When you committed a misdemeanor before, you were in danger of maybe going to jail or getting something. Now, everything’s being reduced, or, you know, you’re getting an appearance ticket, and it’s a lot less consequence.”
It truly feels to me like people are driving dangerously and committing other crimes with impudence in many cases. You hear stories about vehicle theft and repeat offenders that boldly steal over and over again, knowing they will be released on bail. Things get even more crazy and complicated when you consider the options that police have when trying to stop these incidents as they are happening.
In early November in Buffalo, our city police force recently had to defend itself on TV when a 14-year-old crashed and died on Elmwood Avenue in a car that he had just stolen – because it’s a safety concern whenever police pursue a dangerous driver in high traffic and densely populated areas. In this case, the officers did NOT pursue the car, though the action of simply turning their lights on was thought to have perhaps contributed to the excessive speed and ultimately the death of this kid.
These are just a few examples that make me think, maybe I AM going crazy. But I’m not going crazy, and neither are you. The crazy thing to do would be to expect that things will change or get better on their own. For my part, I’m an active member of ABATE, and we’re doing our best to let our state legislators know that motorcycle riders and other legal and vulnerable users of our roads need stronger laws to allow law enforcement to turn the tide on this disturbing trend.
And sometimes, when even officers like Frank Previte say it’s crazy on our roads these days, it’s nice to know you’re NOT the crazy one, isn’t it?
As always, we sincerely hope that you will be safe while riding or driving, and enjoy many “smiles per gallon.” However, if you or a loved one has been injured in a traffic incident or elsewhere, please contact the Kantor Gullo Law Firm and talk to one of our lawyers.
