NYC Traffic Deaths Rise 44 Percent in 2022

Transportation Alternatives, a street safety group, has released new data on traffic in New York City and fatal accidents, and the news is bad. NYC has already seen a deadly year for motor vehicle accidents in 2022, one of the worst in the current decade. Safety advocates are demanding prompt action be taken to reverse this trend.

Car Accident Traffic Statistics for New York City in 2021 and 2022

More NYC traffic deaths have occurred in the city during the first three months of 2022 compared to the first quarter of any year since 2014, NY Daily News said in its review of the Transportation Alternatives report. According to the data, 59 people have died in car accidents in NYC so far in 2022, compared to 41 people who died in the same quarter last year. If the numbers continue their current trajectory, 2022 could be the deadliest year for traffic deaths in the city in the decade, even surpassing the number in 2021, which had the highest number of traffic deaths since 2014.

Types of NYC Traffic Deaths

The data shows the following grisly information for the first quarter of 2022:

• 29 pedestrians were killed in NYC car accidents
• 8 minors died in motor vehicle crashes
• 24 percent of the fatalities occurred on city streets with speed limits higher than 25 mph
• An estimated 236 traffic fatalities are expected to occur if the current trends are not reversed during the year

Advocates Demand Action 

In 2014, former Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the Vision Zero Program, which hoped to prevent traffic fatalities across the five boroughs. However, advocates say that too many New Yorkers are senselessly dying in NYC traffic accidents while crossing the street, waiting for the bus, or riding in a car. The authors of the report are demanding the City Council pour $3.1 billion into the city’s budget to implement New York City’s Department of Transportation’s street plans, which would add bike lanes and redesign hundreds of intersections across the city to make streets safer for all road users.

Advocates are also demanding that the city pass a law that would give it control over the city’s street camera program. This would allow it to install more traffic cameras and end restrictions that limit when tickets can be issued to people speeding or running red lights.

Hurt in an NYC Car Accident? Contact David Resnick & Associates

If you were hurt in a car accident in NYC, an auto accident lawyer from David Resnick & Associates, PC can help. David established the firm after seeing personal care and attention lacking from other injury lawyers. He is committed to helping accident victims recover fair compensation after sustaining serious injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Contact us today for a free case review to discuss your legal options to pursue financial recovery following a car wreck.

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.