New York Fatal Pedestrian Accidents
Fatal traffic accidents in the United States have decreased significantly over the past 40 years, mostly due to increased safe driving education, law enforcement campaigns, increased seatbelt use, Graduated Drivers’ License programs, and vehicle designs and safety controls like anti-lock brakes, power steering, backup cameras, and crash avoidance systems. However, as safe as it’s getting for vehicle occupants, pedestrian deaths have not decreased as much. In fact, 15 percent of all traffic deaths are people who are jogging, walking, and standing by a roadway.
From 2006 and 2015, traffic fatalities in New York decreased significantly, falling from 1,454 to 1,121. Unrestrained occupant deaths also fall 369 to 171 during the same time period. Drunk driving, speeding, and unhelmeted motorcyclists’ deaths also dropped. While pedestrian deaths gradually fell over the decade, 307 died in 2015, up from 264 the year prior.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the majority of these accidents occur in urban areas, therefore, improving pedestrian safety may include additional sidewalks, traffic barriers, pedestrian over and underpasses, and refuge islands. Other safety measures that are effective include
- pedestrian crosswalk beacons
- better intersection signal timing
- more light and illumination in pedestrian areas
- lowered speed limits
Drivers have a responsibility to all road users, including the most vulnerable – pedestrians. Part of your duty as a driver is always stayed focused on the roadway, as well as what’s going on around the vehicle. You must remain vigilant against committing the most common behaviors that cause accidents – drunk driving, speeding, and distracted driving.
Pedestrians too have a role in road safety, and this includes alcohol use. Most traffic accidents that result in the death of a non-occupant occur after dark, and 46 percent of those killed had a blood alcohol content of .08 or above.