Auto Accidents

Published on: August 6, 2014

The number of pedestrians who died in traffic fatalities in NYC is down by 24% but the number of fatal bicycle accidents is up 33% for the first six months of the year

There were 18,321 motor vehicle accidents in New York City in June according to the recent statistics published by the NYPD. This is the highest number of accidents per month in one year and the second consecutive month that this number is above 18,000. A similar increase in vehicle accidents was also observed for the months of May and June last year. During these two months this number was also above 18,000. The total number of motor vehicle accidents for the first six months of 2014 is 8068 compared to 8828 in 2013, a decrease of 9.1%.

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4950 people suffered personal injury in a motor vehicle accident last June compared to 4621 in May and 5046 in June 2014. During the first six months of the year 24,383 people suffered personal injury in a vehicle accident compared to 26,119 for the first six months of 2013, a decrease of 7%.

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For the first 6 months of 2014 there were 117 traffic fatalities compared to 121 in 2013. 20 people died in traffic accidents in June compared to 25 the previous month and 22 in June 2013. The number of motorist deaths was higher than usual for the last two months.

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Published on: August 5, 2014

To reduce traffic fatalities the NYC Department of Transportation is reviewing each street of the city to determine where a new 25mph default speed limit would be suitable

By GGCRBHS&M

On June 25th the New York State Senate passed a bill that granted Bill deBlasio the authority to reduce the maximum speed limit from 30 mph to 25mph in all 5 boroughs of New York City (see previous blog). Now the Department of Transportation is conducting a street by street analysis to determine which streets will have their sped limit lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph. According to the DOT, most of the major avenues will see a speed reduction.

The NYPD and Vision Zero: Transportation Alternatives new report shows that while some preccints excel at enforcing dangerous traffic violations others are lagging

By GGCRBHS&M

Speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians are the leading causes of traffic fatalities and personal injuries to pedestrians in New York City. Therefore as part of the Vision Zero Initiative all NYPD precincts have been instructed at the beginning of this year to increase enforcement of the most dangerous traffic violations.

A new report card from Transportation Alternatives published last week looks at six months of Vision Zero Traffic Enforcement in New York City. Globally across the city, speeding tickets increased by 32% and tickets for failure to yield increased by 153% for the first 6 months of 2014 compared to the first 6 months of 2013. However while looking at the numbers precinct by precinct, Transportation Alternative discovered huge discrepancies. The most troubling was to find neighborhood precincts with similar traffic conditions and street design that had very different enforcement efforts. For example In Harlem,the 26th Precinct nearly doubled the number of speeding summonses issued from last year(294 to 533),

while the adjacent 30th Precinctin Washington Heights issued half as many summonses as they did the prior year.

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Published on: August 4, 2014

79 year old pedestrian died after being struck by a van in Queens, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A 79 year old woman was killed in a traffic accident in Queens on Friday morning. The woman was crossing 99th street when she was hit by a van which was making a left-hand turn from 62nd road. The driver stayed at the scene (see video below).

One day before another elderly pedestrian was killed by a vehicle in Queens (see previous post) and a 77 year old woman suffered critical personal injury after being struck by a Jeep Wrangler at the Lily Pond Avenue and Narrows Road South in Arrochar, Staten Island, NYC (read more in the SILive)

Last week, the AARP published the results of a voter survey that indicates that 40% of of voters above 50 years old consider drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians a serious problem and 25% of them also say that traffic signals are too quick and don’t allow enough time to cross the road. (read more in New York City Street Blog)

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Published on: August 4, 2014

Two men dead in speeding car accident on Long Island Expressway in Queens, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A man who was driving at 107 mph in a 50 mph zone lost the control of his vehicle and killed himself and his passenger in a frightening car accident, Friday night, a little after midnight in Queens, NYC. The 30 year old driver who was speeding West on the Long Island Expressway lost control of his car as he was trying to switch lanes near Flushing Meadows Park. The car struck a guardrail, flipped over over it and ended it course against a pillar. Both the driver and his passenger, another man in his 30’s died shortly after they arrived to the hospital.

The driver who killed an 80 year old woman after crashing into her on a neighborhood street in Bath Beach in Brooklyn, NYC, in broad daylight will not be charged

By GGCRBHS&M

How in the middle of the day, did a driver fail to see an 80-year-old crossing the street in front of her on a one way residential street?
In a recent article in StreetBlog, Brad Aaron is questioning why the police didn’t charge the driver who crashed into 80 year old Margherita Nanfro as she was crossing Rutherford Place at Bay 16th Street in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NYC, around noon on July 25th. Pictures from the accident suggest that the driver may have been speeding as the impact was strong enough to throw the elderly woman onto the windshield. Reports also suggest that the victim had the right of way.

Published on: July 30, 2014

Senior pedestrian dies from head injuries after being struck by a car in Queens

By GGCRBHS&M

An 87 year old woman who was trying to cross the street was hit by a car near Willets Point Blvd and 163rd St in Flushing, Queens, New York, yesterday night. She suffered severe head injuries and later died in the hospital.

In New York City, senior pedestrians have a higher risk to die in a car accident than adult pedestrians. Recent statistics from the DOT show that seniors represent 12% of the NYC population but account for 36% of NYC pedestrian traffic fatalities.
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Source: DOT Safe Street for Seniors New York City

Published on: July 17, 2014

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released a list of recommended used vehicles for teens to help parents buy a car that will better protect their teens in case of an accident and that will also offer sufficient safety technology

By GGCRBHS&M

teen%20driver.jpg Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers and the type of vehicle they are driving can make a difference. Every year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) publishes a Top Safety Picks list featuring the safest new cars to drive. However for 83% of parents a new car for their teens is not in the budget. To help them make the right choice when buying a used car for their teens, the IIHS just published a list of the best used cars for teen drivers.

Even though minicars and small cars are the most common choices when parents buy a car for their teens, they are not on the list of the IIHS. Bigger and heavier vehicles provide better protection in case of an accident.

Often teenagers drive an old car that the family already owned. Two thirds of these teenagers drive vehicles from 2006 or earlier. According to the IIHS, this is not a safe option for a teen because these vehicles usually don’t offer safety features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and side airbags.

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Published on: July 15, 2014

A 49 year old female pedestrian died yesterday night after being struck by at least one car in Brooklyn, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian died after she was hit by at least one car on Flatbush Ave near Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. The accident happened yesterday night after 9 pm and heavy rainfalls were reducing drivers visibility. According to the NY Daily News, the woman had exited of a parked car and was trying to cross Flatbush Ave. A 37 year old motorist hit her and did not stop immediately but returned to the scene shortly after. He told the police that he didn’t realize immediately that he had hit a person. According to the police it is possible that a second car also hit the woman.

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Published on: July 14, 2014

8 year old boy from the Bronx suffers personal injury after being struck by a minivan whose driver was seen texting just before the accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A young boy was seriously injured after he was hit by a minivan Saturday in the Bronx, NYC. According to the New York Daily News, the boy was playing with friends when he ran out into the street. He was struck by a minivan driven by a lady who witnesses said was seen texting behind the wheel prior to the accident. The lady also had her children in her car. She remained at the scene and so far no charges have been filed. The boy who suffered serious but non life threatening injuries was rushed to the hospital.