A campaign to battle the risks of New York City pedestrian accidents will be launched in the wake of a new report detailing one of the city’s most urgent safety issues, NBC News reported.
“We’ve made historic gains in reducing traffic fatalities, and this year we are seeing pedestrians fatalities decline again,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “But we still see too many families devastated by traffic accidents.”
In fact, pedestrian accidents have been responsible for just over half (52 percent) of the city’s traffic fatalities in the last five years. The New York City Department of Transportation reported that speeding, driver inattention and failure to yield were among the leading causes.
The myth of the New York City cab driver caught a break, at least in this instance: 79 percent of accidents that killed or seriously injured pedestrians involved private vehicles. And only 20 percent were killed while walking against a signal.
Some 1,500 additional countdown signals will be installed throughout the city. Corridor crash data will also be used to rework some 60 miles of streets to improve pedestrian safety. Twenty intersections and major two-way streets — including 23rd, 57th and 125th — are also marked for upgrades.
A media campaign will also be launched to remind motorists that the city’s standard speed limit is 30 mph.
A map of countdown signal locations is available here.
The plan involved the review of over 7,000 accident reports. While accident data revealed traffic safety in 2009 was the best that has been reported since 1910, there were still a total of 155 pedestrians killed in New York City last year.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident in New York City or Long Island areas, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose to discuss your rights. Call 718.261.0549.
