New York City: Adopt Sammy’s Law in line with global best practice, says CHI

March 13, 2024 by Child Health Initiative

Categories: Road Safety, Child and Youth Rights

The Child Health Initiative supports Sammy’s Law, giving New York City the power to lower its speed limit to 20mph, in line with the World Health Organization’s international best practice.

The campaign is led by CHI partners Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. It was spearheaded by Amy Cohen, whose 12-year-old son Sammy was killed on a Brooklyn street. In the past decade 108 children have been killed on New York City streets.

Every child has a right to a safe and healthy journey. Similar laws save lives around the world. Cities are increasingly making speed policy decisions based on local evidence, cutting speed from 30mph to 20mph, driving down traffic casualties. From London to Helsinki, Pleiku to Tunis, Fortaleza to Bogota, cities are cutting speeds to save lives. In the United States, cities like Seattle, WA, Minneapolis, MN, and Washington DC, have adopted 20mph on neighborhood streets. New York City is notable in its absence. 

Sammy’s Law is at the finish line – it has near universal support in the New York State Legislature and now needs the New York State Assembly to include legislation in its budget. To show the support of the international community, CHI wrote an open letter to Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Carl E. Heastie, advocating for New York to adopt this law in line with international best practice. Read the full letter here.