[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/pedestrian-fatalities-on-the-rise-in-nyc\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/pedestrian-fatalities-on-the-rise-in-nyc\/","headline":"Pedestrian Deaths Increase Along With Cyclist Accidents in NYC","name":"Pedestrian Deaths Increase Along With Cyclist Accidents in NYC","description":"Despite longstanding efforts to cut down on\u00a0pedestrian deaths in NYC car accidents, the number of pedestrians who died on New York City roadways in the first half of 2019 was up by more than a fifth compared to the previous year. Recently,\u00a0three pedestrians were hurt in Queens\u00a0on a Saturday afternoon when a motorist trying to […]","datePublished":"2019-08-21","dateModified":"2025-04-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/#Person","name":"David Resnick & Associates, P.C.","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/","identifier":12,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"David Resnick & Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","width":287,"height":87}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pedestrian-death.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/pedestrian-death.jpeg","height":325,"width":578},"url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/pedestrian-fatalities-on-the-rise-in-nyc\/","about":["Pedestrian Accidents"],"wordCount":1153,"articleBody":"Despite longstanding efforts to cut down on\u00a0pedestrian deaths in NYC car accidents, the number of pedestrians who died on New York City roadways in the first half of 2019 was up by more than a fifth compared to the previous year.Recently,\u00a0three pedestrians were hurt in Queens\u00a0on a Saturday afternoon when a motorist trying to beat a red light lost control of her car and drove up onto a sidewalk. A few days later, a\u00a0Harlem man died from injuries\u00a0he suffered in July as he stood in the protected bike lane\u00a0and was run down by a hit-and-run bicyclist.Statistics from the NYC Department of Transportation say\u00a082 people were killed on the streets of New York between January 1 and June 2 of this year.\u00a0That\u2019s an increase of 22.4 percent over the same period last year,\u00a0according to Streets Blog NYC.The spike in pedestrian deaths, which unfortunately is mirrored by a\u00a0rise in cyclist deaths in New York, is worrisome given reports that the number of\u00a0traffic deaths in New York City had dropped in 2018\u00a0to the lowest level in more than a century. And this is despite\u00a0Vision Zero, the City\u2019s action plan for ending traffic deaths and injuries on NYC streets. Safety features installed in new cars aren\u2019t helping preventing pedestrian accidents too.Clearly, something is suddenly not going as intended.Early Stats for NYC Pedestrians Deaths in 2019According to the Streets Blog analysis, the 82 roadway deaths reported in New York City through June 2 include:46 pedestrians (which is eight more than during the same period last year)10 cyclists (which matches the deaths for all of last year)6 motorcyclists20 motor vehicle occupants (which is up from 14 last year).Pedestrian deaths have increased by 21 percent, which is not as bad as driver deaths (up 25 percent) or cyclist deaths, which are up a whopping 66.6 percent, according to the blog.But the primary point of the Streets Blog report is ongoing discrepancies between DOT numbers and statistics that are reported sooner but less accurately by NYC Police.A DOT spokesman says\u00a0NYPD\u2019s TrafficStat\u00a0numbers may over-estimate current-year fatalities while under-estimating previous years\u2019 totals. Meanwhile, Marco Conner of the Transportation Alternatives advocacy group, told Streets Blog that DOT numbers typically under-estimate fatalities, which increase retroactively when deaths from injuries are included.Regardless, as Doug Gordon, a New Yorker who\u00a0tweets as @BrooklynSpoke, says in the report: \u201cIf I\u2019m killed by a driver, it won\u2019t make a whit of difference to my wife and kids if I\u2019m the 68th or 66th pedestrian or cyclist fatality this year so far. All they\u2019ll care about is that I\u2019m dead.\u201dWhat Has \u2018Vision Zero\u2019 Done About NYC Pedestrian Deaths?Vison Zero, the plan to eliminate all traffic-related deaths in New York City by 2024,\u00a0was unveiled by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014 with a promise to use every tool available to improve the safety of streets in every borough.According to Vision Zero, pedestrians traditionally account for 56 percent of all New York City traffic fatalities. Crashes often have multiple contributing factors, including driver inattention, speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, use of alcohol, crossing midblock or crossing against the traffic signal, and other factors, such as weather and darkness.But, \u201cDangerous driver choices are the primary or contributing factor in 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities,\u201d it says. In the remaining 30 percent of fatalities, there is a documented error by the pedestrian with no apparent error by the driver.Children and seniors are especially vulnerable to pedestrian accidents, it says. Being struck by a vehicle is the leading cause of injury-related death for children under 14. People over 65 make up 12 percent of the city\u2019s population but 33 percent of pedestrian fatalities.The primary actions promised in the Vision Zero plan were to pursue:Expanded enforcement against dangerous moving violations that contribute to \u00a0pedestrian accidentsNew street designs and configurations to calm traffic and improve safetyBroad public outreach and communicationsA sweeping legislative agenda to increase penalties for dangerous drivers and give New York City control over the safety of streets.According to the\u00a0Vision Zero Year 5 annual report, released in March, the plan initially identified priority intersections, corridors, and areas based on the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured (KSI) between 2009 and 2013. By the end of 2018, DOT had addressed 90 percent of priority intersections and 86 percent of priority corridor miles \u201cwith design and engineering treatments,\u201d leading to a 36 percent drop in pedestrian deaths at those locations.Because many locations that once ranked among the highest for pedestrian KSI are now markedly safer, Vision Zero has recalculated to identify\u00a0new priority intersections, corridors and areas, and work to mitigate danger to pedestrians among them lies ahead.The report also credits:Activation of 873 leading pedestrian intervals (giving pedestrians a 3- to 7-second head start as they enter an intersection with a corresponding green signal in the same direction of travel)NYPD focus on targeting the six violations most likely to cause serious or fatal injury to pedestrians:SpeedingFailure to yield to a pedestrianFailure to stop at a signal (running a red light)Improper turningUsing a cell phone or texting while drivingDisobeying signs.DOT running radio ads during evening commutes to caution drivers about the dangers of lower visibility and encourage them to follow the 25 MPH citywide speed limit, turn slowly, and yield to pedestrians.Citywide, pedestrian deaths have decreased by 37 percent since 2013, the report says.Still, what the Vision Zero annual report calls a \u201csmall increase\u201d in pedestrian deaths from 107 in 2017 to 114 in 2018 represents \u201ca troubling sign that the city\u2019s streets remain dangerous for many New Yorkers,\u201d according to The New York Times.Mayor de Blasio \u201ccalled the rise in pedestrian deaths disappointing,\u201d The Times said in its New Year\u2019s Day report.And, unfortunately, since the first of the year, the disappointment at City Hall has continued as shock, grief and ongoing loss in more than 40 New York City homes.An NYC Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Can HelpIf a loved one of yours has been hit by a car, truck, motorcycle or cyclist and killed in New York City, you should speak to an\u00a0NYC pedestrian accident lawyer. You, as a surviving family member, may be entitled to compensation if the accident was the driver or cyclist\u2019s fault. A legal claim could help you with medical bills, funeral expenses and lost income, and compensate you for your grief. A claim may be possible for a serious pedestrian accident injury, too.The NYC pedestrian accident\u00a0lawyers of\u00a0David Resnick & Associates, P.C., are skilled at evaluating traffic accident claims and have a track record of recovering compensation for clients. We work with pedestrian accident victims in\u00a0Manhattan,\u00a0Queens,\u00a0Brooklyn,\u00a0Staten Island, the Bronx\u00a0and all of\u00a0New York City. Call us today or use our\u00a0online contact form\u00a0to set up a free\u00a0legal consultation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pedestrian Deaths Increase Along With Cyclist Accidents in NYC","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/pedestrian-fatalities-on-the-rise-in-nyc\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]