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Taxis Are Seriously Dangerous, So Buckle Up
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 11, 2012
Modified Mar 11, 2012
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Jen Chung / Gothamist
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 11, 2012
Modified Mar 11, 2012
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It never occurred to us to buckle up in a cab because they never, ever get into accidents and nothing kills the buzz of having a personal chauffeur like a seatbelt. But the Daily News reminds us today that people often suffer serious injuries when their faces slam into the hard plastic partitions during an accident or when the cabbie has to make a sudden stop. "This is a New York City tragedy and public health issue that has not changed in almost two decades," Dr. Lewis Goldfrank, a chairman of emergency medicine at Bellevue & NYU Langone said. Another ER doctor agrees. "Ask any ER doc in Manhattan, and they will tell you they see it very frequently. People have a false sense of security in the backseat of a cab."
Part of the problem is that the partitions—around 16 inches from your nose, studded with sharp edges, bolts and credit card machines—wouldn't pass muster in crash tests, and aren't subject to them because they're installed later. The "Taxi of Tomorrow" will have a new partition, and will be crash-tested with the partition installed.
The paper has two grisly, cautionary tales of unsuspecting, seat-belt eschewing fares who later suffered broken noses and plenty of stitches (photo included). But aside from returning seat belt PSAs to cabs (Dr. Goldfrank says they drove cabbies "crazy" but the current rage-inducing TVs could be no worse) preventing these injuries is largely up to whether or not we choose to wear a seatbelt.
“No cab should be allowed to leave the side of the curb unless passengers have buckled up. Period. End of story," a plastic surgeon suggests. "It ought to be the law.” Hmm, how about we start wearing seatbelts in cabs to deprive those Nanny Staters the satisfaction of passing a law? That'll show 'em.
Tagged
cabs
public health
safety
taxi
tlc
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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