The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that 2010 traffic fatalities increased from 2009 and the trend could continue due to the economic recovery.
New York Personal Injury Attorney Nicholas Rose knows that last year 269 people died in the five boroughs from traffic crashes. This is a statistic that is bound to get worse with more motorists commuting to and from work each day.
Though motorcycles make up only two percent of all vehicle registrations in New York City, they account for 14% of traffic fatalities. And in 2009 the number of fatal crashes went up by 10 from the previous year. A DOT study found that speed was the contributing factor in 46% of all fatal motorcycle accidents.
There were 151 fatal New York City pedestrian accidents 18 fatal bicycle crashes.
NYDOT had launched Safe Streets for Seniors in 2008. So far the program has made safety improvements to 10 senior areas. There were 44 senior fatalities in 2009.
To combat excessive speeding DOT launched the That’s Why It’s 30 campaign. They found out that most New Yorkers were unaware of the city’s 30 mph speed limit. The ad campaign focused on the life saving benefit of traveling at 30 mph rather than 40 mph. There is a 70% chance a pedestrian will die if they are hit by a vehicle going 40 mph. But if the vehicle is going 30 mph there is an 80% chance a pedestrian will survive.
Another campaign by DOT, targeting young men, was You the Man, which aimed to reduce drunk driving. In 2008, men between the ages of 21 and 39 accounted for 63% of alcohol-related crashes in the city. An iPhone app is available to New Yorkers to let them locate an approved car service if they need a ride home after a night out.
DOT has the following upcoming initiatives planned:
-Across all five boroughs installing 1500 countdown pedestrian signals.
-Neighborhood 20 mph zones to slow down traffic in an area instead of individual streets.
-Rank corridors and address safety issues along 60 miles of roads per year.
-In Manhattan re-engineering 20 high-crash, high-volume intersections and improve visibility of pedestrians at left turns by removing curbside parking spaces near intersections.
As a New York City personal injury lawyer, Nicholas Rose understands that being injured in an accident is often one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Nicholas Rose is dedicated to fighting for the rights of personal injury victims. Call for a free and confidential consultation if you have been injured. To schedule an appointment, call us at 1-877-313-ROSE (7673).
