NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6127
SPONSOR: Crespo 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 Amar Diarrassouba Life Saving Track Guard Law.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the vehicle and traffic law by adding a new subdivi-
sion 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. 2. Provides for this act to be repealed if it renders New York
State ineligible for federal funds.
Section 3. Severability Clause
Section 4. 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 217th 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 protective 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. Legis-
lation 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 rear
wheel guards.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
A6418 of 2013 died in Assembly Transportation, died in Senate Transpor-
tation
A.6744 of 2015 died in transportation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
On the 180th day after it shall have become law
