Safety advocates in cities as far away as San Francisco are pushing officials to conduct traffic studies in the wake of the New York City pedestrian accident report being called one the most comprehensive in the city’s history.
As we reported last week on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog, pedestrian accidents are responsible for more than half of the city’s traffic fatalities. More than 1,500 countdown signals will be installed and 60 miles of streets will be reworked — including 20 major intersections — in response to the study.
The report looked at more than 7,000 pedestrian accident reports between 2002 and 2006 and debunked several myths, including the erroneous belief that taxi cabs and jaywalkers were responsible for large numbers of accidents.
The New York Times recently reported:
-Older residents are at increased risk. Those over the age of 65 make up 12 percent of the city’s residents but accounted for 38 percent of all pedestrian deaths that were studied.
-Elderly Asian-American residents are at additional risk — suffering a fatality rate twice the rate of other senior citizens. Part of the reason is believed to be their presence in high-density areas with acknowledged safety challenges, including Chinatown, Flushing and Jackson Heights.
-About 58 percent of pedestrian accident victims are male, compared to a national average of two-thirds.
-Fewer alcohol-related pedestrian deaths occur in the city than the nationwide average, 8 percent compared to 13 percent. However, alcohol-related accidents were twice as likely to be fatal as those that did not involve alcohol.
-Motorcyclists were 18 times more likely to be killed in an accident than the occupant of a passenger car.
-Accidents involving cars changing lanes were twice as likely to be fatal than other types of accidents.
-Male drivers in their 40s were the most dangerous. These drivers had the highest likelihood of being in a crash, with 5 accidents per 100,000 residents.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident in the New York City or Long Island areas, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose to discuss your rights. Call 718.261.0549. Representing accident victims in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties.
