Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. recently announced legislation that gives pedestrians the right-of-way in the full length of crosswalks in intersections without traffic lights, passed the New York State Senate and Assembly. Current law only gives pedestrians the right-of-way in the half they are presently in while crossing the street in intersections without traffic lights.

"This legislation would give pedestrians right-of-way and peace of mind knowing that traffic must yield until they safely cross," said Fuschillo who is a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.

According to Fuschillo, nearly half of the states in the nation now have laws similar to this proposal. The legislation will be forwarded to Governor Pataki for his signature and enactment into law.

Senator Fuschillo has introduced legislation that would help improve child safety by requiring the installation of a pool alarm in order to obtain a building permit for the construction or alteration of a residential swimming pool.

"Water emergencies, especially involving young children, require an immediate response," Fuschillo said. "Alarm devices activate when there is a disturbance to the pool surface, therefore, alerting an adult or others that a child may have fallen into a pool."

Fuschillo's legislation would require that the pool safety alarm emit a sound of at least 100 decibels when an object weighing 10 pounds or more enters a body of water. He introduced this pool safety legislation at the personal request of Andrea Nordquist whose two-year-old son Christopher died tragically in a pool accident.

"I have prayed for many years that no other mother would ever have to go through the pain and suffering that I did that summer. Pool alarms can help prevent little ones from accidental deaths and it is important that this legislation be enacted into law," Nordquist said.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths to children ages 14 and under, with 1,150 children drowning in the US each year and an estimated 5,000 children hospitalized from near-drowning incidents.

In an effort to further educate residents about pool safety, Fuschillo lists the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Pool Safety Guidelines:

* Fences and walls should be at least four feet high and installed completely around the pool. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be out of a small child's reach.

* If your house forms one side of the barrier to the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce a sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.

* A power safety cover - a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the water area - can be used when the pool is not in use.

* For above-ground pools, steps and ladders to the pool should be secured and locked, or removed when the pool is not in use.

* If a child is missing, always look in the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Keep rescue equipment by the pool, and be sure a phone is poolside with emergency numbers posted. Someone in the household should know CPR.

The CPSC offers three free publications consumers can use to help prevent child drowning: Safety Barrier Guidelines for Pools, How to Plan for the Unexpected and Guidelines for Entrapment Hazards: Making Pools and Spas Safer. Copies of these publications can be obtained on the CPSC's website at www.cpsc.gov, or by writing to "Pool Safety," CPSC, Washington, DC 20207.

Senator Fuschillo announced recently that the New York State Senate passed legislation he sponsored that would strengthen penalties for repeat alcohol and drug-related offenses by increasing fines and license revocation periods.

According to Fuschillo, the legislation would provide that the fine for convicting a second DWI within 10 years would be increased from $1,000 to $2,500 and increase a driver's license revocation period from one to two years. A person committing a third DWI within 10 years shall have his or her license permanently revoked.

"Stiffer penalties send a message that New York State will not tolerate repeat DWI and drug-related offenses," said Fuschillo, member of the Senate Transportation Committee. "All must be done to deter drunk driving in an effort to keep our roads safe and save lives."

Fuschillo remains a leading advocate in Albany in the fight against drunk driving. He is currently the chief sponsor of legislation that would lower New York State's legal blood alcohol content level from .10 percent to .08 percent.