"The only thing I agree with is that he doesn't comprehend. Lau's crime wasn't the tragic outcome; it was hitting the accelerator, veering into the opposite lane to bypass traffic, and racing 70 mph through a residential neighborhood. That's why Safe Streets advocates were so taken aback: Of course Lau didn't intend to kill anyone. I'm sure she feels remorse, though whether it's for the family or for how this has disrupted her own life is unclear."
"Should everyone who drives 70 mph in a residential neighborhood go to prison even if no one is hurt? Maybe that isn't practical. And the goal isn't to fill jails-it's to keep people safe. But someone who does that should lose their license for life and have their car seized without compensation. And if that gamble ends in death, prison must be the consequence. In Lau's case, that remains within Chan's power."
"That's why I'm adamant about concrete bells and bollards. They make it physically impossible to drive like a psychopath-and if someone tries, the consequences fall on the driver. Even a race car driver can't defy physics. Streets can and should be designed to force safe behavior. Many cities already do this, as New York shows. Even police can't play fast and loose with physics. But American traffic engineers often design roads that tolerate recklessness and shift the danger to people outside the car."
Judge Bruce Chan expressed confusion and indicated Lau likely won't serve prison time in the plea deal he is presiding over. Lau accelerated, veered into the opposite lane to bypass traffic, and raced 70 mph through a residential neighborhood, actions that resulted in the death of the Pinto de Oliveira family. Safe Streets advocates were outraged and argued that such deliberate endangerment should lead to lifetime license revocation and uncompensated vehicle seizure. If reckless driving leads to death, prison should follow to deter similar behavior. Concrete measures like bells and bollards should physically force safe behavior; some cities, including New York, already use them. American traffic engineering often tolerates recklessness, shifting risk to vulnerable road users.
Read at Streetsblog
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