Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Andrew Cuomo

Crossover Mirror Bill Takes Effect Next January

The Cross Over Mirror, on the right, allows truck and school bus drivers to see in front of their hood. Photo: __.
The Cross Over Mirror, on the right, allows truck and school bus drivers to see in front of their hood. Photo: __.

On July 18, Governor Cuomo signed into law legislation requiring that all large trucks driven on New York City streets have crossover mirrors to allow their drivers to see what's directly in front of them. The law will take effect 180 days after the governor signed it, in mid-January.

Once installed, the crossover mirrors will save lives. Nationally, 71 percent of all pedestrians killed by trucks were struck by the front of the truck, often because the driver couldn't see into the blind spot in front of the cab. Moses Englender, a four-year-old killed by a truck while tricycling in Brooklyn this May, became the tragic face for the law.

The extra mirrors might have saved the life of the cyclist killed by a truck driver in East Williamsburg yesterday. According to the Daily News, the driver struck the cyclist with his vehicle's front fender without even noticing the impact. We don't have enough information to know precisely what happened in that crash, but if the cyclist had been more visible to the driver as he rode in front of him, the driver might have been able to take action at the last second and avoid the worst.

Three other important transportation bills still require Governor Cuomo's signature: complete streets legislation, Mayor Bloomberg's taxi bill, and the transit lockbox. Cuomo is expected to sign the complete streets law, which his office helped craft. The taxi bill requires some technical amendments in the legislature before it can be presented to the governor. Cuomo has not publicly taken a position on the lockbox bill, which would make it harder for the governor and state legislature to steal dedicated funds from transit riders to use elsewhere in the budget.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Hamstrung! Congestion Pricing ‘Pause’ Screws Over the Next MTA Capital Plan: Report

Gov. Hochul’s congestion pricing pause will eat into the MTA’s execution of its next capital plan and push the start of work on that plan back by years, a new report argues.

September 16, 2024

Restler Bill to Cap E-Bike Fees Sets The Bar High for Citi Bike’s Future

Lincoln Restler's new bill to cap the cost of a Citi Bike e-bike trip at the cost of a subway ride treats bike-share as public transportation.

September 16, 2024

Opinion: Unlock Central Park’s Shared Path to Get Kids Biking to School

With over 200 schools within a half-mile of its boundaries, Central Park could be a model for Safe Routes to School and help lead a bike-to-school renaissance.

September 16, 2024

Monday’s Headlines: A Worthy Ribbon-Cutting Edition

The DOT will formally open the protected bike lane on the Washington Bridge connecting upper Manhattan to The Bronx. Plus other news.

September 16, 2024

Friday Video: Welcome to the ‘War on Cars’

Here's a pithy, witty, concise synopsis of why cars suck from the makers of America's best-loved podcast.

September 13, 2024
See all posts