Recently, the preliminary statistics of 2011 car accidents in New York City were released. These statistics illustrate the fewest number of traffic accident-related fatalities since 1910. As of the Dec. 27, there were about 240 fatalities resulting from traffic accidents in the city. While this is 40 percent fewer than the number of fatalities in 2001, it is still far too high.
Included in this number are the 134 pedestrians who were killed in accidents involving a motor vehicle. This represents a more than 30 percent decrease from statistics recorded in 2001. The number of bicyclist fatalities remained about the same over the last decade.
Our New York City car accident attorneys understand that the Department of Transportation is congratulating itself for the record low and credit the safety engineering initiatives and public education efforts along with the NYPD and its pursuit of aggressive enforcement efforts. Yes, the NYPD has made increased enforcement efforts to bust drivers who speed and drive drunk. But the congested traffic on our city’s roads still took the lives of nearly 240 people in 2011. With that many traffic-related deaths in a year, it’s no time to be celebrating.
The announcement of these new statistics was made by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in Brooklyn at the Grand Army Plaza. This location is where the roadway was recently redesigned to enhance safety. Some of the most recent improvements are expected to decrease the number of accidents in the plaza, adding to the approximate 40 percent reduction that has already been seen in the last three years.
“This will be the city’s safest traffic year in the more than 100 years since records were kept,” vowed Mayor Bloomberg.
Bloomberg says he and Transportation officials are making strides to make further reductions in traffic fatality figures. He says the city is looking to redesign numerous areas and to push aggressive traffic enforcement to get there. He says the city wants its roadways to be safe for everyone, regardless on the desired mode of transportation.
The Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan, says that the redesigns have helped to save an estimated 300 people. She says that the recent accomplishment is something to be proud of. Still, she says the DOT isn’t done just yet. She says DOT officials are working in the five boroughs in an effort to make our streets even safer.
The fatality rate in the City fell from about 5 fatalities per 100,000 residents back in 2001to about 3 in 2011.
Still, consider the fact that 240 people died on the City’s roadways in 2011. Yes, that’s a reduction from previous years, but the number is still far too high. Officials shouldn’t throw in the towel until that number is zero. More needs to be done to make our roadways safer for everyone.
The traffic accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offer free consultations to those who have been injured in a car accident in Brooklyn, Manhattan or elsewhere throughout the New York City area. Call 1-877-313-7673 to speak with someone about your case and to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
New Resources to Help Reduce Risks of Child Injury during Car Accidents in New York, Nation, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, January 31, 2012
Dangerous Drivers Pleading for Safer Roadways to Reduce Risks of Car Accident in New York and Elsewhere, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, January 29, 2012
