Skip to main content

New York City sees reduction in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities

New York City has ended the first six months of 2017 with the fewest traffic fatalities ever measured, according to figures released by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Under the Vision Zero program, as of 30 June, the city had recorded 93 fatalities, the first time ever that fewer than 100 lives had been lost in such a period. The full fiscal year ending 30 June recorded 210 fatalities, 31 fewer than the prior fiscal year. The reductions come as the City is increasing traffic enforcement against dangerous violations
July 21, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
New York City has ended the first six months of 2017 with the fewest traffic fatalities ever measured, according to figures released by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Under the Vision Zero program, as of 30 June, the city had recorded 93 fatalities, the first time ever that fewer than 100 lives had been lost in such a period.  The full fiscal year ending 30 June recorded 210 fatalities, 31 fewer than the prior fiscal year. The reductions come as the City is increasing traffic enforcement against dangerous violations like speeding and redesigning a record number of streets to make them safer.

The Vision Zero highlights from the first six months of 2017 include declines in year over year traffic fatalities since 2016 in most modes, including among pedestrians, where 47 fatalities were recorded as of 30 June, compared to 63 fatalities in first six months of 2016.

Declines by borough have been largest in Queens, with 23 fatalities in 2017 compared to 32 in 2016, in Manhattan, with 20 in 2017 down from 26 in 2016 and on Staten Island, with five fatalities this year, down from 11 last year.

FY 2017, which concluded on 30 June, was also the City’s safest fiscal year since record-keeping began, with 31 fewer traffic deaths than FY 2016 and over 70 fewer, a 24 per cent decline from FY14, the year Vision Zero was launched.  In contrast, from 2014-2106, according to the 4953 National Safety Council, the country as a whole has seen a 14 percent increase in traffic fatalities.

UTC

Related Content

  • November 25, 2016
    SFMTA launches three-year motorcycle education campaign pilot
    The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which manages all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), has launched a first of its kind Vision Zero education campaign targeting people who ride motorcycles. The campaign is funded by a US$188,267 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
  • November 7, 2022
    Charlotte, NC: looks like we’re walking
    Charlotte is committing to ambitious Vision Zero targets and has a plan for modal shift which emphasises active travel in the North Carolinian city
  • September 15, 2016
    UK motorists ‘relax attitudes’ on distracted driving
    Research for the RAC’s Report on Motoring 2016 has revealed that for some, attitudes towards handheld mobile use have worryingly relaxed over the last two years. The proportion of people who feel it is acceptable to take a quick call on a handheld phone has doubled from seven per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2016 and the percentage of drivers who feel it is safe to check social media on their phone when in stationary traffic, either at traffic lights or in congestion, has increased from 14 per cent in
  • August 12, 2016
    Government traffic statistics ‘highlight a growing issue in the UK’
    The UK Department for Transport has issued its provisional estimates of road traffic in Great Britain for the year ending June 2016 by vehicle type and road class. These show that motor vehicle traffic was at a record high with 319.3 billion vehicle miles travelled, at 1.5 per cent higher than the previous year and 1.6 per cent higher than September 2007). Rolling annual motor vehicle traffic has now increased each quarter in succession for three years. Compared to the previous year, all road class