Published May 30, 2014 Yahoo News By Lisa Belkin
Taxi drivers who kill or seriously injure pedestrians will have their licenses suspended immediately and revoked permanently if they are found to have broken any traffic laws, according to a bill passed on Thursday by the New York City Council. Called Cooper’s Law for 9-year-old Cooper Stock, who was killed by a taxi while crossing the corner of 97th Street and West End Avenue in January, it is one of several pieces of legislation the council approved that support Mayor de Blasio’s goal of eliminating pedestrian traffic deaths by 2024. Other changes passed on Thursday include increasing the penalty when a car “fails to yield” to a pedestrian who has the right of way, and banning such things as “wheelies” and “invitations to race” on motorcycles.