The Big Picture Behind Traffic-related Deaths and Injuries in New York

Most New Yorkers already know that the city’s streets are not for the faint of heart. In a report released last week, researchers presented a closer look at the city’s pain points. The unique project not only highlights existing problems, but gives city planners a blueprint of sorts for fixing them.

In compiling the report, researchers looked at accidents in the five boroughs between 2002 and 2006. They only counted accidents involving pedestrians that resulted in either death or serious injury.

As Michael M. Grynbaum reports in The New York Times, some of the patterns uncovered were more surprising than others.

Against expectations, “crazy taxi drivers” and trucks were involved in a lower number of serious accidents than private vehicles. Of all the accidents accounted for in the report, male drivers were the most likely to be involved in a severe crash. To be more precise, male drivers making left turns were most likely to hit a pedestrian.

Another surprise was the fact that jaywalkers accounted for less injuries and fatalities than those pedestrians who waited for the light to cross. They were, however, more likely to be seriously injured than law-abiding citizens.

Senior citizens made up the largest percentage of pedestrian fatalities, accounting for 38 percent of fatal accidents. Within that group, Asian American senior citizens had the highest chance of being involved in a fatal car accident.

On the side of motor vehicles, motorcyclists were 18 times more likely to perish in an accident than drivers in cars and trucks.

Alcohol was only involved in eight percent of fatal car accidents, five percent lower than the national average. On the other hand, intoxicated drivers were twice as likely to be involved in an accident resulting in death.

With city updates underway and planned, researchers hope that Mayor Bloomberg will be able to use a good deal of the study’s findings as be continues to push for safer streets.

Related Resource

• More Accident Data: Motorcyclists and the Elderly, Beware (The New York Times)