Does the NYPD Commissioner Know the Speed Limit?

An article from Streetsblog New York: http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/20/does-ray-kelly-know-the-speed-limit-now/

If Ray Kelly understands the risks of urban speeding better today than he did 16 years ago, he sure didn't let it show last week. Kelly denied all the evidence that something is broken with traffic enforcement in New York City. As TA's report documented, only one out of every 12,698 speeding violations gets caught. As injury statistics bear out, New York pedestrians are 63 percent more likely to be injured by traffic than their counterparts in London (where some residential zones have 20 mph speed limits). As anyone familiar with New York City sidewalks can attest, reckless driving strangles quality of life by making people feel unsafe walking, biking, or venturing outside.

Interesting stats on speeds from the article:

• 5 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 20 mph
  
• 45 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 30 mph
  
• 85 percent of people die when struck by a motorist going 40 mph
  
• When cars exceed 20 mph, the comfort level of cyclists and pedestrians drops significantly
  
• Eye contact between drivers, and between drivers and pedestrians, drops rapidly at speeds greater than 20 mph
  
• Driving 20 mph requires a stopping distance of 150 feet, driving 30 mph requires a stopping distance of 200 feet, driving 35 mph requires a stopping distance of 250 feet.