Heaven on wheels: NYPD investigating wider range of traffic crashes

Riding a bike in the city is a great way to get around, for a lot of reasons. It can be quicker than the subway, there’s really nice sights to see, you can get some sun. That’s all balanced out by the fact that you’re also putting your health and well-being into the hands of strangers, and hoping they don’t hit you with their two-ton death machines cars. It used to be that the NYPD would only investigate crashes when someone was dead or going to die, but according to the New York Times, the rules are finally changing.

The Times got hold of a letter that Ray Kelly sent to the City Council, outlining the new NYPD protocol for traffic crashes: investigations of crashes will now occur when a critical injury has occurred. Like, say, getting your collarbone, ankle, eye socket and nose broken when you get hit by two cars while riding your bike. The Accident Investigation Squad will also be re-named to the Collision Investigation Squad, reflecting the new view that a car hitting someone isn’t a mere random accident, but an avoidable collision. So now a hit-and-run won’t have to result in a grisly death to get some official attention. Would have been nice policy to have two years ago, but we’ll take it.

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