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NEW YORK, USA - New York city mayor, Bill de Blasio, is under pressure to explain why his official vehicles were filmed breaking traffic laws, two days after he rolled out a traffic safety plan.
VIDEO: New York mayor break traffic rules
It's a "Do as I say and not as I do" scenario that, in South Africa, has drawn scathing criticism of government officials ignoring basic traffic regulations and seeing themselves as above the law.
De Blasio was spotted in the passenger seat of an SUV, part of a two-vehicle convoy, speeding, running through a pair of stop signs and not signalling when changing lanes.
BREAKING THE RULES
The footage, shown on WCBS-TV, was taken as Blasio returned to City Hall after a news conference in the New York suburb of Queens. He deferred to the New York Police Department when met by reporters the following day on his way to a gym.
The mayor's cars are typically driven by members of his security detail, made up of NYPD detectives.
Police commissioner William Bratton downplayed the video, saying that the drivers had special training to make decisions based on security needs and won't face any questioning.
Bratton said: "I'm not overly concerned by what I saw. He could raise it, but the security concerns would override any of his concerns."
Blasio cited Bratton's comments later on Friday (Feb 22), said: "Bratton addressed the topic of my security detail. I am very comfortable with what he said and I refer you to his comments."
Despite having said earlier that he would address the apparent speeding, Blasio refused to answer reporters' questions about the matter.
The video emerged two days after Blasio released a "Vision Zero" plan which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities.
The plan included the reduction of the city's speed limit from 48km/h to 40km/h, installing more traffic-lights and speed enforcement cameras, detailing more NYPD officers to enforce speeding violations, and toughening penalties for speeding.
VIDEO: New York mayor break traffic rules
It's a "Do as I say and not as I do" scenario that, in South Africa, has drawn scathing criticism of government officials ignoring basic traffic regulations and seeing themselves as above the law.
De Blasio was spotted in the passenger seat of an SUV, part of a two-vehicle convoy, speeding, running through a pair of stop signs and not signalling when changing lanes.
BREAKING THE RULES
The footage, shown on WCBS-TV, was taken as Blasio returned to City Hall after a news conference in the New York suburb of Queens. He deferred to the New York Police Department when met by reporters the following day on his way to a gym.
The mayor's cars are typically driven by members of his security detail, made up of NYPD detectives.
Police commissioner William Bratton downplayed the video, saying that the drivers had special training to make decisions based on security needs and won't face any questioning.
Bratton said: "I'm not overly concerned by what I saw. He could raise it, but the security concerns would override any of his concerns."
Blasio cited Bratton's comments later on Friday (Feb 22), said: "Bratton addressed the topic of my security detail. I am very comfortable with what he said and I refer you to his comments."
Despite having said earlier that he would address the apparent speeding, Blasio refused to answer reporters' questions about the matter.
The video emerged two days after Blasio released a "Vision Zero" plan which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities.
The plan included the reduction of the city's speed limit from 48km/h to 40km/h, installing more traffic-lights and speed enforcement cameras, detailing more NYPD officers to enforce speeding violations, and toughening penalties for speeding.
