New Data Shows 44 Percent Increase in Traffic Fatalities During First Three Months of 2022, Deadliest Start to Any Year Since Vision Zero Began in 2014
Crashes killed more children during this quarter than any first quarter since before Vision Zero began
Traffic fatalities on track to rise for fourth year in a row, a first since at least 1990
Advocates urge city to fully fund NYC Streets Plan, Albany to grant home rule and pass entire Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act this session
NEW YORK — The first quarter of 2022 was the deadliest start to any year since before Vision Zero began in 2014, according to new data released today by Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. Traffic crashes killed 59 people in New York City during the first three months of 2022, a 44 percent increase over this point last year. The first quarter also saw the 100th child, 18-years-old and under, killed in a traffic crash since Vision Zero began in 2014.
Traffic fatalities in 2022 are on track to be even worse than 2021’s record-breaking year, and, if this trend continues, this will be the first year since 1990 that New York City has seen four consecutive years of increasing fatalities.
This alarming increase must be met with action from lawmakers at all levels of government, from comprehensive street redesigns to lifting arbitrary restrictions on life-saving automated traffic enforcement.
“From children in Queens to seniors in Brooklyn, too many New Yorkers are killed simply waiting for the bus or crossing the street, and the numbers are only increasing.” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Our leaders must take steps immediately to save New Yorkers and prevent this year from turning into another record-breaking year for traffic fatalities. The Mayor must include the City Council’s $3.1 billion ask to fund the NYC Streets Plan in the City’s final budget, while working with DOT to fast-track redesigns of dangerous corridors and redesign 1,000 intersections. Finally, Albany must grant New York City home rule over traffic safety so we can make immediate use of the lifesaving effectiveness of our existing red light and speed safety camera programs. In this time of crisis, New York City needs more groundbreakings — not vigils.”
“My grandfather survived the horrors of the the Holocaust, but was not able to cross the street in his neighborhood. Crossing the street should not be a life-or-death risk. We need to bring safe streets investments to every corner of the state by passing the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act. More than 100 NYS Safe Streets Coalition partners agree: Safe streets can’t wait,” said Families for Safe Streets member Elke Weiss, whose 99-year-old grandfather Jack Mikulincer was killed by the driver of an SUV as he crossed the street in his electric wheelchair on his way to synagogue in Manhattan Beach. “It’s time for our leaders to put promises into action. Dangerous corridors and intersections must be redesigned for safety without delay. Albany needs to urgently pass the CVRSA to lower speed limits, redesign streets, and give basic rights to crash victims.”
"As the City reemerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, I am alarmed that the first quarter of 2022, was New York City's deadliest start since 2014,” said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We must invest in, and implement, smart traffic enforcement policies that advance responsible street design, like the comprehensive NYC Streets Plan to avoid such tragic incidents like the crash that killed Davina Afokoba, a 10-year-old with a bright future, and a hit and run that killed a 73-year-old Rockaway man in a wheelchair, only steps from his nursing home. I look forward to working with transportation stakeholders and the NYC Department of Transportation to enact responsible street redesigns to decrease this alarming trend."
Key takeaways from the first quarter of 2022:
Queens and Manhattan experience sharp increase in fatal crashes. In Queens, fatalities are up 125 percent compared to this point in 2021 — with pedestrians accounting for 60 percent of traffic deaths there. Manhattan has seen a 120 percent increase compared to this time last year, and February and March 2022 was the deadliest two-month period for motorists in Manhattan since 2013.
Pedestrians made up nearly half of all fatalities. Of the 59 fatalities in Q1 2022, 29 were pedestrians. February was the deadliest February under Vision Zero in Brooklyn for pedestrians. It was in this month that 99-year-old Holocaust surviver Jack Mikulincer was killed by the driver of a BMW SUV as he crossed a known-dangerous street in his electric wheelchair.
Deaths of people on e-bikes, mopeds, scooters and other motorized vehicles have skyrocketed. In the first quarter of 2021, there was only one traffic fatality of someone on an “other motorized” vehicle, as classified by NYC DOT. However, in the first quarter of 2022, nine people have been killed in crashes while riding an “other motorized” vehicle such as an e-bike, scooter, or moped. These individuals are often working delivery cyclists from low-income, immigrant backgrounds and include Jorge Alejandro Antonio, a deliverista killed by a hit and run driver in the Bronx on March 25, 2022.
Almost 25 percent of all fatalities occur on streets with speed limits greater than 25 mph. Less than 10 percent of New York City’s streets have speed limits above 25 mph, but nearly 24 percent of fatalities in 2022 have occured on these streets. The City of New York could take immediate action today to lower these speed limits, as previous efforts to lower the speed limit led to a 22 percent drop in all traffic fatalities and a more than 25 percent drop in pedestrian fatalities.
The youngest and oldest New Yorkers account for nearly four in 10 fatalities. From 2014 to 2021, children ages 18 or under made up five percent of all traffic fatalities, but in 2022 that number is almost 15 percent. There have been more child fatalities to start this year than any year since 2004. New Yorkers 65 or older only make up 15 percent of the population, but in 2022 so far they are 24 percent of all traffic fatalities. This data underscores the need to do more to protect our most vulnerable neighbors, especially as they cross the street.
This data comes after TA released “Home Rule Means Safe Streets” which explained why Albany must transfer control over traffic safety to the City of New York. While the City of New York has the power to implement safe-streets redesigns, the state can also play a key role in getting Vision Zero back on track by lifting the cap on red-light cameras — just one percent of all signalized intersections in the city are currently allowed to be protected — and allowing speed safety cameras to operate 24/7. Nearly 60 percent of victims of all crashes in 2020 died in hours when Albany requires the City of New York to turn cameras off.
Here’s what Mayor Adams, the City Council, and leaders in Albany must do to stop the rising traffic violence on our streets:
Fully fund and expand the NYC Streets Plan. After more than 60 organizations came together to call on our city leaders to fully fund the first year of the NYC Streets Plan’s implementation, the City Council committed $3.1 billion in funding toward the plan — which requires NYC DOT to build hundreds of miles of protected bike and bus lanes, upgrade intersections and sidewalks, and create one million square feet of car-free pedestrian space. This funding must be included in the final New York City adopted budget for FY23.
Pass the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act. Leaders in Albany must pass the full CVRSA package this session providing, among other things, crucial funding for “complete streets” improvements and includes Sammy’s Law, which would allow lower, life-saving speed limits to be set.
Fast-track pledge to redesign 1,000 intersections for safety. In January, Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez committed to redesigning 1,000 intersections across the city for safety — including installing raised crosswalks, leading pedestrian intervals, daylighting, and traffic-calming interventions. City Hall and DOT must fast-track this pledge, prioritizing known-dangerous intersections and publishing the locations of upgraded intersections.
Strengthen the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program. To make the program more effective and reduce repeat offenders, Mayor Adams and the City Council must strengthen the law, as we called for in our Seven Steps agenda for the Adams Administration. This could include lowering the number of red light or speed safety camera violations needed before being required to complete a safety course.
“New York’s pedestrians and cyclists deserve to move around our city without fear. It seems like every day we hear about yet another traffic fatality, and now we’ve got the data to prove it. I am grateful for Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Street for continuing to raise the alarm on the street safety crisis. This legislative session, Albany must enact Sammy’s Law and the entire Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act to keep New Yorkers safe and stop these preventable deaths,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman, lead sponsor of Sammy’s Law and the Crash Victims Bill of Rights in the New York State Senate.
“It is unacceptable that there have been more traffic fatalities this year than since Vision Zero began. New Yorkers shouldn’t live in fear when they ride a bike or for their children crossing the street. We know how to prevent this. We need Albany to allow NYC to use all the tools in our toolbox to keep us safe,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes.
"New Yorkers' desires for safety must be taken seriously, and addressing the scourge of traffic violence is a long-term and sustainable approach to making our neighborhoods livable. The need to pass the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act, strengthen the dangerous vehicle abatement program, and redesign our intersections is not just a quality of life issue - it's also a worker safety issue for Deliveristas, for-hire and livery drivers, and anyone who relies on public roads and space to make a living," said State Senator Jessica Ramos, Chair of the Senate Labor Committee.
"This appalling data illuminates the severity of danger in our streets, and we must act swiftly to address the crisis of traffic violence. I urge my colleagues in the Legislature to support and prioritize passage of the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act, including my bill to enact the Crash Victims Bill of Rights, as well as my legislation to authorize school zone speed cameras to be in operation at all times of day,” said Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick.
“We must do more to ensure that kids are safe on city streets and stop the rise in car-related fatalities. It’s mind-boggling that we have solutions to prevent traffic crashes and deaths, and that we are not implementing them with full force. The State legislature should pass the crash victim rights and safety bills, and should allow the City to operate and expand the school speed camera program and the red light program. Thanks to TransAlt and Families for Safe Streets for fighting for street safety measures,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.
“The epidemic of traffic violence on our streets demands urgent action to make our streets safer. From street redesigns, lower speed limits and traffic cameras, to hardening our bike infrastructure, we know what we have to do to help people get around our city without fearing for their lives. Albany must enable NYC to take the actions we need to make our streets safer, and our city must invest the resources to make changes now to save lives,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
“We cannot stand idle when data is clearly trending in the wrong direction, especially when it involves the lives of our youngest and most vulnerable New Yorkers. Worst yet, something can be done if elected officials prioritize life-saving legislation and funding,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “We should all be advocating and demanding safer streets from Mayor Adams, the City Council, and our leaders in Albany who hold the power to save lives.”
"As we work to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to do everything in our power to combat the disturbing, tragic and preventable rise in traffic deaths," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. "DOT needs to continue their important work redesigning unsafe streets, the state legislature needs to grant the city home rule to install red light and speed safety cameras, and the Adams Administration needs to fully fund the Streets Master Plan. I look forward to working with this administration in protecting New Yorkers and, in particular, to advocating to implement congestion pricing as quickly as possible."
“In the first three month of 2022, we lost 59 people to traffic violence. This is not only a nearly 50% increase since last year, but this makes the first three months of 2022 the most dangerous for New York City since the Vision Zero program began,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “If we’re serious about achieving zero traffic deaths in this City, we need immediate action. Far too many cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians are being put in harm’s way because of inaction. Our City needs to make real investments in a safe, resilient, and accessible transit network for all New Yorkers. We must make our streets safe for all.”
“Traffic deaths are avoidable. The plan laid out by Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets is a clear, necessary roadmap for how we can work together with the Mayor and Albany to ensure that New Yorkers can safely walk and bike in our communities,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler.
“For years, New York City has led the nation in developing innovative solutions to the biggest urban challenges. Street safety should be no different,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera. “I am grateful to Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets for their work in reporting this devastating data. Families should be able to walk down the sidewalk, wait for the bus, or cross the street without fear of serious injury or death. It is imperative that this administration heed the Council’s call to fully fund the Streets Plan in the budget – we cannot allow New Yorkers’ safety to hang in the balance.”
"In November, Qiang Tu was killed while biking in my neighborhood on an avenue that carries frequent truck traffic — but provides only painted bike symbols instead of real protection," Council Member Julie Won said, "Fully funding the streets master plan, implementing intersection redesigns, and replacing paint with protection is a matter of life and death for myself and my neighbors."
“The Year 2021 was the deadliest year for Los Deliveristas Unidos (LDU), as fourteen Deliveristas lost their lives delivering food to New Yorkers. LDU continues to fight the epidemic of Deliveristas victims of unscrupulous hit & run drivers that have resulted in life-threatening injuries and fatality of Deliveristas in NYC Streets. On April 21, LDU will celebrate the first NYC Deliveristas Day, which aims to celebrate its long journey to justice and new labor protections. However, as the LDU's journey to justice is far from over, on April 22, 2022, Deliveristas will enjoy new labor rights that will empower app delivery workers to limit how far they will travel from restaurants and refuse to use bridges or tunnels. The new Deliverista Distance Law, sponsored by Council Member Justin Brannan, will help reduce the speed of app delivery workers and contribute to NYC street safety for Deliveristas, their families, and the communities." said Hildalyn Colon Hernandez, Director of Policy & Strategic Partnerships for Los Deliveristas Unidos (LDU).
