AFTER TRAFFIC LAW, OUTREACH

By [Dan Rivoli] Heather Vandenberghe already got the state to adopt a tough reckless driver law, after her daughter was hit by a vehicle backing up through an Upper East Side crosswalk. But now she is making sure motorists know the penalty for hitting a pedestrian while breaking traffic laws. The Upper East Side mother and marketing executive launched a public relations campaign to educate drivers on Elle"s Law, which is named after her daughter. A car driving in reverse to get a parking space on East 82nd Street near York Avenue hit Vandenbergh"s 3-year-old daughter, Elle, in September 2009. Elle spent eight months in the hospital recovering from head trauma and brain damage. The driver, who was sober, only got a ticket. With Elle"s Law in effect, a driver in a similar situation will have their license revoked for up to a year. Elle"s face will be on advertisements appearing on 250 city buses, billboards throughout the state and in newspapers. In the ads, a picture of Elle accompanies a message such as, â??She almost died for a parking space, or â??Reckless driving wrecks lives. â??I hope that Elle"s Law will act as a strong deterrent to reckless drivers, and in doing so will prevent other families from enduring what ours has, Vandenberghe said in a statement.