Pedestrian safety in the state of New York is a critically important issue. Every year, more than 50 percent of fatalities in NYC are pedestrians. The most recent report helped us to see just how dangerous our roadways were — specifically for pedestrians. In 2010, there were more than 10,000 pedestrians and close to 4,000 bicyclists who were injured by motor vehicles in New York City.
Officials looked at accident information from December of 2008 through June of 2011 from the Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. What they found was that most accidents happened in Manhattan (close to 900), followed by Brooklyn (more than 165), Queens, Staten Island and New Jersey.
Our New York City pedestrian accident lawyers understand that our city’s traffic fatality rate is about a quarter of the national rate and less than half the rate in the next 10 largest U.S. cities. Still, the sheer number of people give rise the high number of serious and fatal pedestrian accidents. Each year, these kind of accidents cost our city’s economy close to $4.3 billion. In fact, pedestrians are about 10 times more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident than the occupants of the involved motor vehicle, according to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT).
Findings of the Study:
-Pedestrians sustained more severe injuries than bicyclists and were more likely to be admitted to the hospital.
-Close to 20 percent of pedestrians and close to 3 percent of bicyclists died after being admitted to the hospital.
-More than 900 pedestrians and more than 360 bicyclists in this study were under the age of 17.
-More than 80 percent of the pedestrians involved in these accidents were using electronics when the accident happened.
-Close to 1,000 of pedestrians were hit while in the street.
-More than 130 pedestrians were hit by taxis.
-About half of all pedestrians that were involved in accidents were hit by a private vehicle.
-Weekday accidents, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., were common for both pedestrians and bicyclists.
From 2005 to 2009, pedestrians accounted for more than half of all recorded traffic accident fatalities. During this same time, driver inattention accounted for close to 40 percent of these accidents.
So how do we help fight this problem? The obvious answer is to make sure that both pedestrians and drivers are paying more attention to their surroundings. What can also be done is that city officials install countdown signals at the city’s 1,500+ intersections. It’s also a good idea to re-engineer 60 miles of streets for better pedestrian safety. Still, at the end of the day awareness is the number one way to help improve safety in the area.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offers free consultations to accident victims. Call 1-877-313-7673 to speak with someone about your case and to discuss your rights today!
More Blog Entries:
Manhattan Advocates Work for Safer Pedestrian Travel, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, July 13, 2013
Speedy Car Plows NYC Sidewalk, Injuring Eight, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, July 10, 2013
