Statement from Families for Safe Safe Streets on 2024’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Queens Community District 7, which includes Flushing, has been the most dangerous district for pedestrians in the last 10 years, and the second-most dangerous district for everyone.

Five children have been killed in Queens so far this year, more than were killed at this point in nine of the last 10 years.    

15 children have been killed in New York City so far this year, far above average and more than were killed by this point in nine of the last 10 years.

FLUSHING, NY — On Sunday, November 17, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Annual World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims will be held in Flushing, Queens. The event will begin with a press conference at the site of the crash that killed 3-year-old Allison Liao in 2013, followed by a short one-block walk to the Queens Botanical Garden.  The family of  Niyell McCrorey, a 13 year old fatally struck by a vehicle who died last Friday will also be in attendance. This Sunday would have been Niyell’s 14th birthday.

This gathering will bring together families who have lost loved ones to traffic violence, alongside community organizations, elected officials, and advocates for safer streets. The event will honor the memory of New Yorkers lost to traffic crashes over the past year by featuring possessions and artistic creations of those we’ve lost in a sharing space, while also pushing for legislative and policy action to prevent further tragedies.

Key legislative measures are at the forefront of these demands, including:

• Urging Governor Hochul to sign the Grieving Families Act in Albany, a bill that seeks to provide critical support to families who have endured unimaginable losses. 

• Passage of the “ISA for Repeat Speeders” bill, which aims to curb the worst-of-the-worst repeat speeding offenders through the use of intelligent speed assistance technology. According to one study, 38% of deadly crashes are caused by the small percentage of drivers who accumulate six or more speeding tickets in school zones every year.

Families for Safe Streets members will be memorializing their loved ones with physical objects, and sharing their stories on the Families for Safe Streets new online “Memorial Story Map”.

The event will also highlight the urgent need for investment in safe streets infrastructure across Queens, which has witnessed 64 traffic fatalities in 2024, including five children and six seniors. These five children killed in Queens far surpass the borough’s VZ-era average of three children killed by this point in the year. 

Serious injuries from traffic violence are at record-breaking levels. Traffic violence has seriously injured 2,338 New Yorkers so far in 2024, and year-to-date serious injuries are up 10% from 2022. It’s hit Queens especially hard, with serious injuries up 35% from 471 in 2022 to 635 in 2024. 

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is an international day of reflection, observed globally (with over 70 such events in the United States alone last year), to honor the memories of those lost and to acknowledge the pain endured by their families and loved ones.

“It has been eleven years since I lost my three-year-old daughter Ally at the corner of Cherry and Main Street. Earlier this year, and not far from here, another three-year-old named Quintas Chen was killed.” said founding member of Families for Safe Streets, Amy Tam Liao, “Queens families are continuing to suffer unimaginable heartache. Traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis. We have the tools to save lives and need our leaders to have the courage to support grieving families and put life-saving safety measures in place.”

“Today, on World Day of Remembrance, we joined together to honor the 224 people killed in traffic violence in New York City this year. These are our neighbors, our loved ones, our friends, and our family — and they should still be with us today,” said Elizabeth Adams, Interim Co-Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “As we honor and remember them, our elected officials must commit to ending traffic violence by implementing street safety redesigns, passing vehicle safety legislation, and lowering speed limits. New York City can achieve Vision Zero — we just need our leaders to take action now to prevent crashes and save lives.”

“My 16 year old daughter, Alissa, was murdered by a reckless driver on her way to school. Since she was not earning an income, she was my child, I was told that her life has no value and there can be no accountability. As a mother in mourning, I implore Governor Hochul to prevent further tragedies, sign the Grieving Families Act, and recognize our grief.’ said Florije Kolenovic, mother of Alissa Kolenovic.

“Today, we remember those who have been victims of traffic crashes and stand with their loved ones whose lives have been shattered by these tragedies,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens). “We have not forgotten them and the pain that they have endured. From making our roads safer to cracking down on reckless driving, we have to continue taking steps to prevent future crashes. We should never compromise on safety.”

“On World Day of Remembrance, we honor the thousands of New Yorkers who tragically lost their lives in traffic crashes, said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. A decade into Vision Zero, our mandate to eliminate traffic violence remains stronger than ever,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “It is imperative that we double down on what works: smart street design, universal daylighting, and accountability for reckless drivers. Thank you to Families for Safe Streets for an unwavering commitment to safer streets for all.”

“2024 was one of the deadliest years on record for traffic safety, with traffic violence killing at least 217 New Yorkers so far, said Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. This is a direct result of our leaders failing to treat this as the crisis it is. Mayor Adams must use the full sweep of tools available to the city to change this reality: building more protected bike lanes, reducing high-speed police chases, and increasing daylighting and traffic-calming measures. These are all urgently needed to make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. New Yorkers deserve better than this epidemic of traffic violence.”

"We stand with our allies in calling for New York to adopt a more aggressive approach to prevent future tragedies like the ones that have taken the lives of all being remembered today," said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers

“By simply commuting to work, our members are faced daily with distracted and reckless drivers, placing them at particular risk for traffic violence, which is why we remember those that were killed and urge the Governor to sign the Grieving Families Act.” said Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) President Stuart Appelbaum

“New Yorkers Against Gun Violence remembers and honors those victims of preventable traffic fatalities, whose families have forever been changed, and is asking Governor Hochul to sign the Grieving Families Act now and stop the systematic injustice that currently exists for these victims, gun violence victims, and so many others pursuant to the current New York statute.” said Rebecca Fischer, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) Executive Director

"On World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we remember and honor the lives lost to traffic violence, including little Allison Liao, whose memory reminds us why this work is so important," said Councilmember Sandra Ung. "Allison was only three years old, crossing Main Street in Flushing when her young life was tragically cut short because of a preventable crash. Every corner of our city deserves streets where children like Allison can walk safely to school, seniors can cross without fear, and drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians share the road with care and respect. Together, we can create a city where every New Yorker can move about safely."

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