Pedestrian bicycle and motorcycle accidents were unusually high in New York City in February while bus and truck accidents decreased

February showed an increase in pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents in NYC while bus accidents and truck accidents were lower than the previous years during the same month. Was the usually warm weather a contributing factor or is Vision Zero  not really working?

After two years of decrease, the monthly number of pedestrians injured in NYC crashes in February is back to the level where it was 3 years ago. Last month 980 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents in the city compared to 735 in February 2015, 820 in February 2014 and 983 in February 2013.  11 pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents in NYC last month. The same number of people died the previous month and in February 2015. After Zero Vision was launched in 2014, the number of pedestrians killed in the month of February initially decreased from 13 to 8 between February 2013 and February 2014 and went back up above 10 for the last two years.

Even though the trend is still showing a decline of pedestrians injuries since the beginning of 2013, the 3-month moving average is back around 1,000 while for the same period last year it was around 900. A similar observation can be made for the 3-month moving average of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. While the moving average was below or at the level of the trend line in February 2015 and 2014 it is now back above the level of the trend line in February 2016.

 

The number of bicycle accidents more than doubled last month compared to the month of February last year or the year before. There were 240 bicycle accidents in February 2016, compared to 109 in February 2015, 129 in February 2014 and 170 in February 2013.The unusually warm weather may have been a factor in the increase of bicycle and pedestrian accidents in New York City during the month of February. While the month of February was exceptionally warm in New York City, February last year was extremely cold.

2 bicyclists died in traffic accidents in February which is also unusual. In 2015 and 2013 during the month of February nobody was killed in a bicycle accident and only one person did in February 2014.

173 bicyclists were injured in NYC in February 2016 compared to 81 in February 2015, 94 in February 2014 and 128 in February 2013.

 

The total number of people injured in NYC traffic accidents including pedestrians, bicyclists, passengers and motorists  was the highest recorded for the month of February since 2013. A total of 3,665 people suffered personal injury in a motor vehicle accident in New York City during that month. This number is higher than in February 2013 before the implementation of Vision Zero  initiatives but again the unusual warm weather may have contributed to an increase in traffic and therefore an increase in accidents as well.

 

A total of 18 people died in traffic accidents in the city in February 2016 with pedestrians accounting for 11 of them.  This number also is higher than the two previous years during the same month. Last February there were 15 people killed in motor vehicle accidents and the year before 11. Before the implementation of Vision Zero, February 2013 had the highest number of traffic fatalities with a total of 20.

 

Motorcycle accidents statistics are the most correlated to the weather conditions. Because of an unusually warm month of February, the number of motorcycle accidents was also unusually high for the month, There were 55 motorcycle accidents in NYC last month compared to 40 the month before. Previous statistics for February show a total of 17 accidents in February 2015 which was unusually cold, 27 in February 2014 and 36 in February 2013.

The number of truck accidents decreased in February 2016 compared to the previous month of January and also compared to February 2015 and February 2014. At least one positive statistic! There were 587 truck accidents in New York City last month compared to 667 in  January 2016, and 597 in February 2015.

 

Bus accidents also decreased in February. There were 535 bus accidents last month compared to 649 the previous month and 572 for the same month a year ago.