Deadly Year for Traffic and Pedestrian Deaths in NYC

In a recent report published by the New York Daily News, New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez urged state lawmakers to grant the city control over local speed cameras to combat an alarming surge in traffic deaths.

At the time of publication, at least 53 individuals have died in New York City traffic incidents in 2022 alone. This is the highest number of traffic deaths recorded by this time of year since 2013. Commissioner Rodriguez warns that failure to take action now could have dire consequences.

2021 NYC Accident Data

The recent surge in NYC traffic deaths is a regrettable continuation of a “bloody” 2021. Last year, a staggering 273 people were fatally injured in traffic accidents, the highest rate of traffic fatalities since 2014, when Mayor de Blasio introduced his “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate NYC traffic fatalities entirely.

The Need for Speed Cameras

According to Commissioner Rodriguez, reducing the widespread presence of dangerous drivers in the city is significantly more difficult than it should be due to current speed camera laws.

State legislators passed a law in 2019 allowing New York City to install hundreds of speeding cameras in more than 750 school-adjacent areas. These cameras are designed to register instances of speeding and automatically ticket drivers based on captured images of their license plates. If a motorist is caught going 10 miles per hour above the speed limit, they could receive a $50 fine.

Speed cameras are an essential deterrent that can undoubtedly save lives. But unfortunately, under state law, the city is currently only allowed to use the cameras between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., and only on weekdays.

The Commissioner notes that these restricted hours severely reduce the effectiveness of speed cameras. Mr. Rodriguez estimates that 70 percent of fatal accidents in school zones occur when the cameras are offline and has called on state legislators to grant New York City “home rule” over the speed camera program.

Getting Control of Speed Cameras and Reducing Fatal Accidents

Commissioner Rodriguez encourages all New Yorkers to support the city’s push for home rule, saying that New York City “deserves to have the control and decide everything related to automatic enforcement — anything related to speed cameras.”

In addition to transferring control of the speed camera program to the city, Mr. Rodriguez has referenced several other local efforts seeking to improve safety and reduce traffic deaths. For one, the Department of Transportation (DOT) introduced a plan earlier this year to revamp 1,000 city intersections to make them safer for pedestrians. Tragically, 25 pedestrian deaths have already occurred in NYC traffic accidents so far this year.

Additionally, the Commissioner plans to facilitate a “higher level of coordination on enforcement” between local police and the DOT. Because many drivers involved in fatal crashes are those with suspended licenses, the hope is that more coordination could help prevent accidents before they happen.

Contact a New York Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you have been injured in a speeding accident, a pedestrian accident, or another traffic accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact David Resnick & Associates, P.C. today to learn more about your legal options in a free initial consultation.

Author: David Resnick

Founder of David Resnick & Associates, P.C., a New York personal injury law firm in charge of providing exceptional and personal service to each of our clients in various areas including car accidents, slip and fall, wrongful death, construction accidents, and premises liability. David Resnick founded the firm in 1998 after working in large law firms where he saw a need for greater client communication and more personal care.