Auto accident injuries at record high and upsurge of bicycle accident deaths in New York City during the first trimester of 2019

6 cyclists, 27 pedestrians, 5 passengers and 9 motorists died in NYC traffic accidents during the first 3 months of 2019 compared to 1 cyclist, 26 pedestrians, 2 passengers and 13 motorists for the same period of 2018.  A total of 47 people died in motor vehicle accidents in New York during this first trimester, 5 more than during last year’s first trimester. The number of traffic deaths significantly decreased between the first trimester of 2013 and the first trimester of 2014, reached its lowest in 2015 at 40 and then oscillated between 40 and 50 for the last 4 years with no further improvement.

12,997 people were injured in auto accidents in New York City during the first 3 months of 2019 compared to respectively 12,920, 12,608, 11,936, 10,069, 10,805 and 11,676 during the first trimester of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. This is a record number of motor vehicle accident injuries for the first trimester. Except for pedestrian injuries which were at their second lowest level since Vision Zero started all other road users recorded a significant increase of injuries during the first trimester of 2019 compared to the same period of 2018 with motorist injuries at a record high.

The most alarming data this first trimester was the death of 6 cyclists. This number has never been so high in the past. After an uptick to 4 during the first trimester of 2016 the number of deaths related to bicycle accidents in NYC went down to 2 and 1 during the same period of 2017 and 2018. Last year during the entire year, 9 cyclists died in traffic accidents which was a record low. However the first trimester deaths are an indication that the city can’t relax its efforts to improve protection for the growing number of people commuting by bikes in the city.

The number of cyclists injured was also very high during the first trimester of 2019. After declining during the two first years of Vision Zero, it  went from 355 during the first trimester of 2015 to a record high of 643 during the same period of 2016 and never went below 600 since then. This year it is back  at the record high of  2016.

Pedestrians continue to be the category of road users the most at risk of dying in a traffic accident in New York City. 27 of them died during this year’s first trimester compared to respectively 26, 31, 27, 23, 31 and 44 in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Pedestrian deaths significantly decreased in 2014 and reached their lowest in 2015 which was the second year of Vision Zero. Then they went slightly back up and stabilized a little bit below 30.  This is still very far from the Mayor’s goal of having no more pedestrian deaths in the city.

Pedestrians injuries declined to 2,666 during the first trimester of 2019 compared to respectively 2,870, 2,840, 2,749, 2,423, 2,847 and 3,080 during the same period of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Before Vision Zero, Pedestrian injuries were above 3,000 during the first trimester of 2013. They reached their lowest during the first trimester of 2015 and then went back up again for the next 3 years. It is the first time that they are declining again since 2015.

9 motorists died during the first trimester of  2019.  After a record high of 15 motorist deaths in the first trimester of 2013 ans 2014, the number of motorist deaths declined significantly to 8 during the first trimester of 2015.  The 2015 decline occurred just after the speed limit was reduced to 25 mph in the city. Since 2015 motorists deaths have been oscillating between 8 and 13.

The number of motorists injured in NYC auto accidents during the first trimester reached a record high at 5,731 compared to repetitively 5,656, 5,441, 5,149, 3,497, 3,589, 3,913.  Compared to its lowest in 2015, the number of motorists injuries increased by 59%. Motorists are driving more slowly, however they are getting more distracted. Distracted driving is the number one cause of accidents in New York City.

Passengers injuries have also been rising over the last 3 years. After declining from 4,173 during the first trimester of 2013 to 3,395 during the first trimester of 2016, passengers injuries gradually went back up every first trimester of the last 3 years to reach 3,957 in 2019. The trend is still slightly declining but almost flat.

5 passengers died in car accidents in New York City during the first trimester of 2019 compared to 2 the same period of the previous year. Passengers deaths are globally on a declining trend since 2013 and reached their lowest in 2016 and 2018 with 2 passenger deaths over the first three months of the year.