Requires the use of rear wheel guards on certain vehicles

4 Co-sponsors

• Tony Avella
• Martin Malavé Dilan
• Jesse Hamilton
• Bill Perkins

Title of bill

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring the use of rear wheel guards on certain vehicles

Purpose or general idea of bill

Establishes the Amara Diarrassouba Life Saving Truck Guard Law

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1. Establishes the "Amara Diarrassouba Life Saving Truck Guard Law."

Section 2. Amends the vehicle and traffic law, section 375, by adding a new subdivision 10-f. Requires certain vehicles that are operated within a city having a population of one million or more to be equipped with rear wheel guards on the rear wheels of such vehicles.

Section 3. Provides for this act to be repealed if it renders New York state ineligible for federal funds. Section 4. Severability Clause

Section 5. Effective Date

Existing law

None

Justification

Amar Diarrassouba was a six year old boy who was hit by the back of a tractor-trailer on his way to school as he crossed the street at the intersection of 117th Street and First Avenue on February 28, 2013. Amar was pronounced dead of his injuries a short time later at Harlem Hospital. He and his older brother were less than one block from their school, P.S. 155, when the tragedy occurred.

Amar's tragic death might have been avoided if the tractor-trailer had been equipped with both protective side guards and rear-wheel guards. There are estimates that ten children die each year in New York City as a result of these types of accidents because rear wheel guards are not mandatory. Legislation was signed into law in 2011 that requires convex mirrors to be placed on the front of tractor trailers, but the mirrors on the front of the truck that killed Amar did not save his life.

This legislation closely follows the statute that was signed into law in 2011 requiring the placement of front convex mirrors on tractor-trailers and other vehicles, except that it now requires the placement of both side guards and rear wheel guards. Additionally, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's "Vision Zero" Legislative Agenda for decreasing the number of traffic fatalities calls for legislation to require side guards and rear wheel guards to be enacted into law.

Prior legislative history

2014: S.4326 - Defeated in Transportation/A.6418 - Referred to Transportation 2013: S.4326 - Referred to Transportation/A.6418 - Referred to Transportation

Fiscal implications

None to State.

Effective date

On the 180th day after it shall have become law