by Brooklyn, NY – In October 2013, 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein was fatally struck by a speeding van near his Brooklyn home while walking to soccer practice. His mother, Amy Cohen, devastated yet determined, transformed her grief into action, founding the advocacy group Families for Safe Streets to prevent similar tragedies on American roads.
More than a decade later, as pedestrian fatalities have surged to near four-decade highs, Cohen’s organization has become a powerful force pushing for safer streets and legislative reform nationwide.
The Heartbreaking Spark Behind a Movement
Sammy’s death shocked the Brooklyn community and his family. Amy Cohen recalls,
“I’d read about things like this happening in the paper, but like so many people, I thought, ‘This could never happen to my family.’”
Refusing to accept that such tragedies were inevitable, Cohen quickly mobilized to fight for safer streets.
Within months, the 60-year-old social worker channeled her grief into creating Families for Safe Streets, which now includes thousands of members and chapters across the nation.
Rising Pedestrian Deaths Demand Action
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pedestrian deaths in the U.S. have increased by 48% over the past decade — a disturbing contrast to many developed countries where fatalities have declined. In 2024 alone, 7,148 pedestrians were killed and tens of thousands more hospitalized.
- The rise is linked to increased driver distraction from phones and in-car devices.
- Growth of large vehicles like SUVs contributes to more severe pedestrian injuries.
- Complicated, high-speed American roadways prioritize vehicle flow over pedestrian safety.
Wes Marshall, a civil engineering professor at the University of Colorado Denver, emphasizes the cultural and infrastructural challenges:
“We prioritize driving and driving fast much more than pedestrians. The problem is solvable, but it’s not going to be easy.”
A Vision Zero Strategy and Legislative Wins
Families for Safe Streets advocates for Vision Zero, a global road safety strategy adopted by over 60 U.S. cities aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities through redesigning roads and stricter enforcement.
Some successes include:
- Lowering New York City speed limits from 30 to 25 mph in 2014, reducing pedestrian deaths by 25% within one year.
- Installation of speed safety cameras in school zones and high-crash areas.
- Overhauling dangerous roadways like Queens Boulevard, once dubbed the “boulevard of death.”
- Launching the “stop super speeders” campaign targeting repeat extreme speed violators through vehicle speed-limiting technology.
In early 2024, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Washington became the first to pass laws using such tech, highlighting progress driven by advocacy groups like Cohen’s.
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As Cohen states,
“There are solutions out there. We don’t need to wait for something to be invented. We just need our leaders to have the political will to put them in place so we can start saving lives.”
Continuing the Fight for Safer Streets
Now more than ever, Families for Safe Streets is vital in a nation where pedestrian safety is declining. The group uses the powerful voices of survivors and families affected by crashes to hold officials accountable and press for action.
As Amy Cohen says, “We’re part of a horrible club that no one should have to join.” But through advocacy, education, and legislative achievements, she hopes to spare others from similar pain.
For more on Families for Safe Streets and their impactful advocacy, visit the source article.
What do you think about the increasing pedestrian deaths and efforts to combat them? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
