BILL NUMBER: S7465
SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the education law, the
general business law, the insurance law, the military law, the penal
law, the public authorities law, the public officers law, the state
finance law, and the transportation law, in relation to replacing the
word accident with the word crash
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
to replace the word accident with the word crash in relation to the
vehicle and traffic law.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends sections of the vehicle and traffic law, the administrative code
of the city of New York, the education law, the general business law,
the insurance law, the military law, the penal law, the public authori-
ties law, the public officers law, the state finance law, and the trans-
portation law, in relation to replacing each instance of the word acci-
dent with the word crash.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
A growing number of safety advocates, including grassroots groups, news-
papers, federal officials and state and local leaders across the country
have moved away from using the term accident" when referring to roadway
incidents. The word "accident" implies that there was no intent or
fault, whereas such traffic incidents may be the result of unsafe driv-
ing or negligence. The New York Times, among many newspapers has elimi-
nated this terminology.
Changing semantics will help to change a 100 year old mentality that
trivializes the single most common cause of traffic accidents; human
error.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S7465: 105-a vehicle and traffic law, 107-b vehicle and traffic law, 114-b vehicle and traffic law, 148-b vehicle and traffic law, 201 vehicle and traffic law, 201(1) vehicle and traffic law, 201(6) vehicle and traffic law, 202 vehicle and traffic law, 202(3) vehicle and traffic law, 220 vehicle and traffic law, 220(1) vehicle and traffic law, 250 vehicle and traffic law, 250(4) vehicle and traffic law, 253 vehicle and traffic law, 253(1) vehicle and traffic law, 254 vehicle and traffic law, 310 vehicle and traffic law, 310(2) vehicle and traffic law, 311 vehicle and traffic law, 311(4) vehicle and traffic law, 315 vehicle and traffic law, 315(1) vehicle and traffic law, 318 vehicle and traffic law, 318(9) vehicle and traffic law, 318(11) vehicle and traffic law, 332 vehicle and traffic law, 333 vehicle and traffic law, 337 vehicle and traffic law, 338 vehicle and traffic law, 341 vehicle and traffic law, 345 vehicle and traffic law, 353 vehicle and traffic law, 353(2) vehicle and traffic law, 354 vehicle and traffic law, 366 vehicle and traffic law, 385 vehicle and traffic law, 385(2) vehicle and traffic law, 398-b vehicle and traffic law, 398-b(2) vehicle and traffic law, 399-a vehicle and traffic law, 399-b vehicle and traffic law, 399-c vehicle and traffic law, 399-d vehicle and traffic law, 399-d(1) vehicle and traffic law, 399-f vehicle and traffic law, 399-k vehicle and traffic law, 399-l vehicle and traffic law, 399-m vehicle and traffic law, 399-n vehicle and traffic law, 399-o vehicle and traffic law, 503 vehicle and traffic law, 503(4) vehicle and traffic law, 506 vehicle and traffic law, 506(2) vehicle and traffic law, 509-a vehicle and traffic law, 509-a(7) vehicle and traffic law, 509-d vehicle and traffic law, 509-d(7) vehicle and traffic law, 509-e vehicle and traffic law, 509-f vehicle and traffic law, 510 vehicle and traffic law, 510(2) vehicle and traffic law, 510-a vehicle and traffic law, 510-a(4) vehicle and traffic law, 520 vehicle and traffic law, 523-b vehicle and traffic law, 600 vehicle and traffic law, 600(1) vehicle and traffic law, 600(2) vehicle and traffic law, 603 vehicle and traffic law, 603(1) vehicle and traffic law, 603-b vehicle and traffic law, 604 vehicle and traffic law, 606 vehicle and traffic law, 1131 vehicle and traffic law, 1146 vehicle and traffic law, 1170 vehicle and traffic law, 1180-a vehicle and traffic law, 1180-a(1) vehicle and traffic law, 1194 vehicle and traffic law, 1194(1) vehicle and traffic law, 1197 vehicle and traffic law, 1197(5) vehicle and traffic law, 1229-b vehicle and traffic law, 1229-b(2) vehicle and traffic law, 1602 vehicle and traffic law, 1630 vehicle and traffic law, 1630(19) vehicle and traffic law, 1642 vehicle and traffic law, 1675 vehicle and traffic law, 2401 vehicle and traffic law, 2401(10) vehicle and traffic law, 2413 vehicle and traffic law, 3650-c education law, 3420 insurance law, 3420(d) insurance law, 5106 insurance law, 5106(d) insurance law, 25.13 parks recreation and historic preservation law, 301-c military law, 65.10 penal law, 65.10(2) penal law, 387 public authorities law