Traffic deaths in NYC reached its lowest level in recorded history so far this year, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Wednesday.
In an era of speed camera enforcement, street redesigns and micromobility trends, DOT officials said on July 2 that traffic fatalities are down 32% in 2025 compared to the first six months of last year. According to the agency, there have been 87 fatalities so far in 2025, tying it with 2018 for the fewest since such records were first collected in 1910.
Of the recorded traffic deaths this year, 51 were pedestrians, 20 were on motorized two-wheeled devices, one was a cyclist, and 15 were drivers or passengers in motor vehicles.
“Traffic deaths reached the lowest level in recorded history during the first six months of this year because of Vision Zero’s focus on safer street designs, expanded public education, and targeted traffic enforcement,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “While one traffic fatality is one too many, whether you are a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a driver, our streets are safer than ever and the important work must continue.”
While all boroughs saw decreases in road fatalities, the Bronx and Queens saw the biggest drop, down 43% and 38%, respectively.
DOT officials went on to say the success is a result of various city- and state-led initiatives. These include traffic-camera enforcement, a crackdown on ghost cars and “aggressive NYPD enforcement” at high-crash sites, officials said.
Fatal crashes among e-bike riders are down
Leading the decline was the “sharp drop” in deaths among e-bike riders and other motorized two-wheeled devices. Among that group, there were 20 deaths so far this year, a decline of 39% from 33 in 2024.
E-bike rider fatalities have declined from nine in 2024 to six this year.
However, while fatalities involving e-bike riders are down, collisions in this category are increasing. According to the NYPD’s latest TrafficStat report, e-bike collisions are up over 11% from last year, increasing from 290 incidents to 323.
Meanwhile, as the stand-up scooter trend continues, DOT did not announce how many of these riders were killed or killed others on the road this year.
According to TrafficStat, only one stand-up scooter rider was killed this year to date. However, the tiny devices have been involved in more fatalities and incidents resulting in serious injury this year.
A 39-year-old Queens man on a stand-up scooter was killed after a horrific motor vehicle collision on June 26. And on May 17, a 58-year-old Bronx resident was killed when an e-scooter driver crashed into him as he attempted to cross a one-way residential street on Staten Island.
In Midtown on May 11, a 59-year-old man was left in critical condition after losing control of his stand-up electric scooter, according to an article in Patch.
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has recently implemented an array of initiatives aimed at making streets safer, including for micromobility users.
“The 32% drop in traffic fatalities that we have seen this year is historic,” Adams said. “It’s also further proof that our administration’s Vision Zero efforts are working. Strong enforcement against reckless driving is keeping pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers safe, and our administration will continue using all tools available to drive down traffic violence and deliver results that keep New Yorkers safe on and off our streets.”
Most recently, Adams and the DOT negotiated with Lyft, Citi Bike’s parent company, to cap the maximum speed of its bikes to 15 mph, down from 18 mph.
Adams has also called for the speed of all e-bikes to be lowered to 15 mph, but there is no word yet on when or if that legislation will pass.
