New York City’s roads are getting safer, according to a New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) study.
Preliminary statistics for 2010 show sustained historic lows in traffic fatalities, with the last four years recording the lowest number of traffic fatalities in city history. Last year had the second-least deaths (269) on the road since records began being kept in 1910, with 2009 being the all-time low (258).
The fatality rate is a quarter of the national average and half that of other big cities. Deaths have seen a 31 percent drop since 2001. In this time the city has implemented widespread safety improvements in street engineering, expanded NYPD enforcement of traffic laws, had safety campaigns focused on seniors and schoolchildren and combated speeding and alcohol use.
“This historic era shows how far we’ve come on safety, but the statistics also bear a warning that we can’t let up in our work to build safer streets,” said Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “Too many crashes that take lives on our streets are still all-too avoidable and we need to do even more to prevent speeding, drunken driving and simple failure to pay attention.”
Many areas have continued to see a decrease in fatalities, but motorcycle-related deaths have increased 34 percent from last year. Though only two percent of registered vehicles are motorcycles, they account for 14 percent of traffic fatalities. Nearly half of these are speeding related, according to a DOT study.
The DOT recently launched two new ad campaigns aimed at making the road safer, “That’s Why It’s 30,” which is aimed at speed limit education, and “You the Man” to help reduce drunk driving. The DOT also launched an iPhone app that allows New Yorkers to locate and call the nearest Taxi & Limousine approved car service to aid in keeping drunk drivers off the road.
