NYC Traffic fatalities back above 100 and car accident injuries at record highs during the first semester of 2019

51 pedestrians, 13 cyclists 11 passengers and 28 motorists died in auto accidents in New York City during the first semester of 2019. After two consecutive years of decline, traffic fatalities in the city went back above 100 at 101 during the first six months of the year compared to respectively 84, 96, 107, 107, 97 and 121 in the same period of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Fatalities increased for all categories of road users except for motorist deaths which stayed stable at 26 during the first semester of this year and the previous one.

NYC Traffic injuries reached a record high at 29,081 during the first semester of the year compared to respectively 28,544, 27,923, 27,540, 23,530, 24,508 and 26,119 during the first semester of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. All category of road users except pedestrians suffered more injuries during this semester than during the previous one.

While the total number of bicycle accidents reported to the NYPD during the first semester of 2019 was slightly lower than the number of accidents reported during the same period of 2018, cyclist fatalities more than doubled during the first six months of the year compared to the first semester of 2018 to reach a record high of 13.  Bicycle accident injuries jumped to 1,907, a record high as well. These numbers came as a bad surprise as 6 months earlier, the de Blasio administration which had been promoting using bicycles to commute around the city was proudly announcing that the number of cyclists killed in the city reached a record low of 9 for the entire year of 2018 and that Vision Zero Initiatives were working. A similar pattern occurring in 2015 and 2016 is an indication that despite all Vision Zero improvements, the city remains a dangerous and deadly place to ride a bicycle.

While still being on a declining trend compared to Pre-Vision Zero, pedestrian fatalities slightly increased to 51 during the first trimester of 2019 compared to 49 during the same period of 2018. Pedestrians injuries were below 5,000 at 4,939 during the first six months of the year. The last time and the only time it was below 5,000 since Vision Zero started was during the first semester of 2015.

Distracted driving continue to be the number one cause of accidents in New York City which is probably why the number of personal injuries suffered by motorists in car accidents continue to reach record highs. 13,201 motorists were injured in car accidents during the first semester of 2019 compared to respectively 12,744, 12,189, 8,250, 8,068 and 8,828 during the same period of 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.  Motorists deaths stayed stable compared to the same period of the previous year and continue to be on a slightly declining trend since 2013.

After a record low at 3 during the first semester of 2018, the number of vehicle passengers dying in car accidents in New York almost quadrupled and reached 11 during the same period of 2019. The number of passengers injured in auto accidents in the city also increased to 9,034.  Passengers injuries reached their lowest during the first trimester of 2016 and then gradually increased every year since.

3,475 bus accidents were reported to the NYPD during the first semester of 2019 compared to respectively 3,714, 3,722, 4,040, 3,800, 3,742 and 3,261 in the same period of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. The number of bus accidents reached its lowest since Vision Zero started during the first six months of 2019.

During the first semester of the year, NYC truck accidents declined slightly to 8,348 compared to 8,657 for the same period a year ago. The number of truck accidents for the semester still stayed above 8,000 which is still very high compared to the level of the first semester of 2013 during which 3,455 truck accidents were recorded in the city.