As Daylight Saving Time comes to an end this weekend, New York City officials are sounding the alarm about increased road danger ahead. With daylight hours dwindling earlier than usual, residents are being advised to exercise extreme caution while driving, walking, or cycling through the city's streets.
According to the Department of Transportation and other city agencies, the next few weeks will be some of the most hazardous for local roads due to reduced visibility. The agency is ramping up enforcement efforts against reckless, distracted, and aggressive drivers in an effort to protect road users.
NYPD officials warn that even with a near-record low number of traffic fatalities this year, vigilance remains crucial, especially during the evening rush hour when drivers may be less aware of their surroundings due to fading light. "Slow down, pay attention," emphasized NYPD Chief of Transportation Olufunmilola Obe. "Remember that visibility changes quickly, and every safe choice you make helps protect your neighbors, family, and yourself."
City officials are also targeting specific offenses, including failure to yield to pedestrians and other moving violations, as well as double-parking, obstructing crosswalks, and blocking bike lanes. Staff from the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission will be visiting popular areas for ride-hailing drivers to emphasize safe driving practices.
According to Commissioner David Do, the science behind reduced visibility is clear: it can take up to 30 minutes for drivers' eyes to adapt to darkness, significantly reducing reaction time. As the sun sets earlier this Friday, with Halloween trick-or-treating scheduled for the evening, officials are urging drivers to be extra cautious and aware of their surroundings.
"Drivers, do your part – look for pedestrians and look for cyclists," urged Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "As we're getting ready to plan a holiday, everyone should go home safe." With increased enforcement efforts in place, New Yorkers can rest assured that the city is taking steps to minimize road risks during this critical period.
According to the Department of Transportation and other city agencies, the next few weeks will be some of the most hazardous for local roads due to reduced visibility. The agency is ramping up enforcement efforts against reckless, distracted, and aggressive drivers in an effort to protect road users.
NYPD officials warn that even with a near-record low number of traffic fatalities this year, vigilance remains crucial, especially during the evening rush hour when drivers may be less aware of their surroundings due to fading light. "Slow down, pay attention," emphasized NYPD Chief of Transportation Olufunmilola Obe. "Remember that visibility changes quickly, and every safe choice you make helps protect your neighbors, family, and yourself."
City officials are also targeting specific offenses, including failure to yield to pedestrians and other moving violations, as well as double-parking, obstructing crosswalks, and blocking bike lanes. Staff from the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission will be visiting popular areas for ride-hailing drivers to emphasize safe driving practices.
According to Commissioner David Do, the science behind reduced visibility is clear: it can take up to 30 minutes for drivers' eyes to adapt to darkness, significantly reducing reaction time. As the sun sets earlier this Friday, with Halloween trick-or-treating scheduled for the evening, officials are urging drivers to be extra cautious and aware of their surroundings.
"Drivers, do your part – look for pedestrians and look for cyclists," urged Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "As we're getting ready to plan a holiday, everyone should go home safe." With increased enforcement efforts in place, New Yorkers can rest assured that the city is taking steps to minimize road risks during this critical period.
just thinkin' about daylight saving time changin' back and it's like our eyes are all "what's goin on?!" 
seriously tho, 30 mins for drivers to adjust to darkness is CRAZY! 
like, we need to be more aware of road users esp during evening rush hour 
and those ride-hailing drivers gotta follow the rules too 
can't have ppl blockin' bike lanes or double-parkin' 
gotta keep our streets safe 
. 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust? that's crazy! like, we need to slow down and be aware of everything around us, including pedestrians and cyclists 
. i'm def gonna make sure to drive slow and keep an eye out for those little trick-or-treaters on halloween 
. let's all just take it easy and drive safe, fam 
.
as Daylight Saving Time ends, NYC is about to get REAL 
dangerous on the roads! 
I'm like totally worried about all those drivers out there who think they're invincible 
Newsflash: it takes 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to darkness, so don't be a reckless driver, fam! 
if you fail to yield to pedestrians or block bike lanes, watch out 'cause NYPD is cracking down hard 
Plus, if you're a ride-hailing driver, make sure you know the rules or face the music from TLC staff 
.
. lets all do our part & keep nyc safe on the roads 
and yeah they're saying slow down pay attention but what about all the drivers out there who are already gonna be reckless and aggressive? meanwhile we have halloween trick-or-treating kids running around in dark streets and no one thinks twice about it 
. nyc officials r doin a good job warnin people but i wish theyd put more emphasis on bike lanes already rn, too many ppl blockin them w/ their cars 
anyway back to driving on these crazy early dark days... think we should just stick to a permanent standard timezone lol idk how much more reckless ppl can get on the roads rn 
. Those ride-hailing drivers gotta step up their game and follow the rules, ya feel me? 
We don't wanna see any horror stories on Halloween night! 
.
. also, did you know that 1 in 5 pedestrians are hit by a car while walking at dusk or dawn? 
let's all do our part and slow down, pay attention, and keep each other safe 
And I'm thinking, what if people didn't wear those fancy smartwatches that give them this " notification" buzz every 5 seconds? Like, can't they just take a sec to look around and see where they're going? 
And have you seen those bike lanes lately? They're like little lanes for the cool kids 
, but what about everyone else who wants to ride their bikes? It's like, we need some more infrastructure, you know?
We need to be extra careful, especially in the evening when light's fading fast 
Halloween is coming but let's not sacrifice safety for a sweet treat 
City's getting serious about reckless driving, and it's about time 
. The NYPD is being super proactive and I love that they're targeting specific offenses too 
. As for me, I'll be sticking to the sidewalks when it gets dark 
.