On November 18, 2024, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was commemorated on the third Sunday of November. Dozens of families advocating for safer streets, community representatives, and elected officials gathered at the intersection of Main Street and Cherry Avenue in Flushing, New York for the “Allison Hope Liao Way” rally on November 17. The event aimed to honor those who lost their lives in traffic accidents, calling for the Grieving Families Act to be enacted as official legislation and for Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems to be installed in vehicles.
Organizers from Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets stated that Flushing’s 7th community has been identified as the most dangerous area for pedestrians in the past decade and second most dangerous for all modes of transportation. This year alone, Queens has seen 5 children fatalities, with a total of 15 across the city, numbers significantly higher than the average, exceeding the death toll of the past 9 years in the same period.
On October 24, 13-year-old Niyell McCrorey was fatally struck by a car at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Cathedral Avenue. The organizers highlighted that 38% of fatal car accidents are caused by a small percentage of drivers who accumulate six or more violations in school zones annually.
The organizers urged the Governor to sign the Grieving Families Act into law and expressed hope for the Speed Limiters for Repeat Offenders bill that has been passed in the state senate to become law.
The intersection of Main Street and Cherry Avenue was where the 3-year-old Chinese girl Allison Hope Liao was fatally hit by a turning SUV in 2013. During the rally, the Liao family, including Allison’s father and her two sons, attended the event. One son was the elder child, while the younger son was born after Allison’s passing. Allison’s father, Liao Xipei, said, “Although it has been 11 years, the pain is still as fresh as yesterday,” choking up unable to continue.
His wife Tan Peien took over and continued, saying, “Families like ours who have lost loved ones require the Grieving Families Act to assist us, but the law only cares about monetary losses and how much people will earn. This act will heal the shattered hearts of victims’ families and rebuild their shattered lives.”
Allison’s brother Preston spoke, having lost his 3-year-old sister when he was 5 years old, now at 16, often pondering why preventable tragedies occur in his family. He emphasized that with safer streets and better traffic safety measures, such tragedies can be prevented. He stated, “One solution is the installation of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems inside vehicles to limit speed according to the area’s limits. This technology can save lives by reducing injuries and deaths caused by speeding drivers.”
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander expressed gratitude to these families of victims for organizing to save lives, citing their efforts to make Queens Boulevard safer, resulting in improved safety compared to the past. More actions must be taken to hold reckless drivers accountable, as the Reckless Driver Accountability Act has expired. He urged the Governor to sign the Grieving Families Act and for New York City to reinstate the Reckless Driver Accountability Act.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, representing 2.4 million residents, mourned with those who lost loved ones, turning pain into purpose, acknowledging that there is still much work to be done to make the streets safer in NYC.
Following the rally, attendees walked along Main Street towards Queens Botanical Garden, chanting the names of traffic accident victims in remembrance.