Garden City Wins Top AAA Safety Award

From left: Marta Genovese, corporate secretary, AAA New York, is flanked by Garden City Police Dept. Inspector Kenneth Jackson, right, and Garden City Police Dept. Detective Richard Pedone. Garden City has won AAA's top Platinum Award for the outstanding effectiveness of its traffic safety programs, AAA New York president Dennis J. Crossley has announced. The community was honored on October 5 th during a luncheon ceremony at the Westchester Country Club in Rye. AAA New York, the local AAA affiliate, presented a total of 97 awards.

The village was one of five Platinum award winners in AAA's annual Community Traffic Safety Awards Program, which recognizes outstanding organizations, individuals and communities for their efforts to make the region's roadways safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Other winners were New York City as well as Larchmont, Tuckahoe and White Plains, all in Westchester County.

"We are delighted to recognize the vital and life-saving work that is being done by Garden City and other award winners," Mr. Crossley said.

Over the past five years, Garden City has shown a 13% reduction in vehicle occupant injuries, 12% reduction in-crashes with injury and an 8% increase in seatbelt usage. Their successful traffic safety programs include the Bicycle Safety Awareness Program, "Make a Difference" DWI Enforcement Program, Truck Inspection Program, Child Passenger Safety Program and the School Bus Safety Program.

They also received a Best practice award along with the Nassau County Department of Public Works for the placement of retro-reflective chevrons on bridge overpasses to warn tuckers of low clearance and a Pedestrian Citation Award for having one year without a pedestrian fatality.