New York authorities have decided to decriminalize crossing the road outside of pedestrian crossings and against a red light. Previously, such violations were punishable by a fine of up to 250 USD, “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” reports.
The initiator of the changes was City Council member, Democrat Mercedes Narcisse.
“Every New Yorker is in a hurry to go about their business, and this is normal behavior of citizens,” Narcisse emphasized, adding that the abolition of fines will allow the police to focus on more important tasks.
Although the city council approved the bill back in September, Mayor Eric Adams refrained from signing it. The law automatically went into effect 30 days later. At the same time, the city administration emphasizes the danger of jaywalking and reminds that pedestrians are required to yield to traffic.
Similar changes have already been adopted in a number of American cities, including Denver and Kansas City, as well as in the states of Missouri, California, Nevada and Virginia.
Some countries, such as the UK, have no strict restrictions on pedestrians, other than a ban on motorways. A similar approach is taken in Canada, Mexico and Scandinavian countries. Swedish rules, for example, consider crossing a red light an offence, but do not provide for penalties for it. Belgian regulations allow crossing the road at a distance of up to 20 meters from a pedestrian crossing, while Irish regulations allow crossing within 15 meters.
Italian and Slovenian laws allow crossing the street in an unauthorized place if there are no marked crossings within a radius of 100 meters.
