Text size:

Traffic deaths hit historic low

By Marlene Naanes, amNewYork Staff Writer
More stories | MNaanes@am-ny.com

January 30, 2008

Traffic fatalities in the city hit a century low last year, yet senior citizens remained some of the most vulnerable pedestrians, according to the latest statistics released Tuesday.

Last year, 271 people were killed in traffic crashes, a 29 percent drop since 2000, and the lowest number of fatalities since the city Department of Transportation began tracking accidents in 1910, officials said. While pedestrians accounted for half of the traffic deaths last year, those fatalities have also seen a decline, some 27 percent since 2000.

"We consider safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers a matter of public health like smoking or obesity that deserves our full attention," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

While ramped up efforts to crack down on drunk drivers and speeding partially accounted for the drop, the city transportation department said that in 25 neighborhoods with a large population of the elderly, it is stepping up safety measures, such as extending crossing times at crosswalks.

Neighborhoods like Flushing and Brighton Beach are among those that would benefit from the initiatives. Senior citizens have remained vulnerable on city streets, making up 12 percent of the city's population but 34 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents last year.

Motorcyclists also endured a particularly deadly year in 2007 with an eight-year high of 35 fatal crashes. In previous years, motorcycle fatalities were in the 20s and teens.

Bicyclists also fared a little worse last year, with 23 traffic deaths, compared to 18 in 2006. The number of bike-involved fatalities tended to hover around the low 20's or mid- to high-teens over the past eight years, according to the statistics.

Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives said their own data showing that bicycle riding has increased by a third in the last 10 years while biker injuries and fatalities have decreased by 40 percent.

"As you have more people riding bikes, the number of injuries and deaths goes down because drivers become more aware," said Transportation Alternatives deputy director Noah Budnick.