Teen Speed Camera Advocate: All Streets of this City are Dangerous

2:49 PM EDT on May 24, 2019

Truth to power: Avery Dermer held a photo of her childhood friend Cooper Stock when she called on the mayor for more action on street safety. Photo: Julianne Cuba

By Streetsblog

Mayor de Blasio announced on Friday that hundreds of new speed cameras will be installed in the city over the next 12 months, bringing the total up to 750 school zone systems. It's a great victory for street safety, but those 750 camera systems will still only cover a minuscule portion of New York City. We were reminded of that shortfall by the courageous words of Avery Dermer, whose childhood friend, Cooper Stock, was killed by a driver in 2014. Dermer spoke before the mayor at the Friday press conference and reminded everyone that the streets of de Blasio's New York are still unsafe. Her brief speech was a clarion call for more action to rein in reckless drivers — and, as such, we are publishing it verbatim.

Cooper Stock. Photo: Barron Lerner via ##http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/treat-reckless-driving-like-drunk-driving/##New York Times## — Cooper Stock. Photo: Barron Lerner

My name is Avery Dermer and I am 16 years old. I was born and raised on the Upper West Side and live on West End Avenue. I am here today because of what happened when I was only 10 years old, a senseless tragedy that has affected my life, and so many other lives, since.

My neighbor and friend, Cooper Stock, was struck by a car while only a few steps away from returning home. He was only 9 years old when he died. It happened right in front of our building, where we loved to play and pretend to be doormen. I will forever remember Cooper as being a smiling and happy person, and it is upsetting how I used to look forward to how great it would be to have a friend so close, only one floor away, to grow up with.

I'm here today because Cooper is not. He never got the chance to become a teenager and develop into his own person.

I'm here today because no family should have to go through what Cooper's family went through. After Cooper passed, I realized how dangerous West End Avenue — and all the streets of this city — are. All New York City kids deserve to be safe going to and from school. No child should have to worry if today will be their last. I pay attention to traffic safety as a pedestrian, but there is still so much that is out of my control. I have to trust the laws, and I have to trust that the citizens of New York will respect the speed limit, especially in school districts, in order to keep kids safe and alive.

When Cooper died, I lost trust in our city. I became very nervous walking the streets, even when I was in the company of my parents. Today, I'm still overly cautious because I have experienced the tragedy of Cooper's loss.

It shouldn't take knowing someone who died to realize how important street safety is, whether one is a pedestrian or a driver. Now by speaking up, by demanding changes like speed cameras across New York City, all of us are safer and all of us can finally gain back the trust we lost.

On behalf of kids across the city, on behalf of Cooper Stock and my classmates, on behalf of all of the victims of traffic accidents who were taken too young, on behalf of their families, and on behalf of all of the kids here at P.S. 199 who are no older than Cooper was, I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and everyone who fought and advocated on behalf of this new law. Thanks so much to everyone who succeeded in getting more speed cameras in New York City, and who are still helping us feel safer walking the streets of our city and our neighborhoods once again.