The ramifications of traffic deaths are massive. One would hope New York City would see as few of these tragic incidents as possible.
Recently, preliminary statistics have come out on traffic fatalities in the city in 2016. Reportedly, New York City, overall, saw 229 traffic deaths last year. This total is down from the previous year and reportedly is the lowest total the city has had in a century.
There is, however, also some less encouraging news when it comes to the 2016 total. One is that, while, the total represents a decrease in traffic fatalities from 2015, the decrease is on the small side. The decrease is only by a handful of deaths, as the 2015 total was 234. The small size of the decrease has led some to question the current tactics being used in the city to try to lower fatal traffic incidents.
Also, while traffic deaths were down overall, there were some individual categories of traffic fatalities that actually saw increases here in New York City last year. For example, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths were both slightly up. In 2015, New York saw 139 pedestrian fatalities and 14 bicyclist fatalities. In 2016, the annual totals were up to 144 pedestrian deaths and 18 bicyclist deaths. Why do you think these particular types of traffic fatalities are going up in the city?
As the data illustrates, pedestrian and bicycle accidents can have their own unique trends when it comes to things like fatality levels. Such accidents can also have unique aspects when it comes to pursuing fair compensation in relation to them. So, when pedestrians, bicyclists or families are pursuing legal action in relation to injuries or deaths caused in such an accident, they may want guidance from a lawyer skilled in traffic accident cases involving pedestrians or bicycles.
Source: The New York Times, “New York Traffic Deaths Dip Again. It’s Not Enough, Mayor’s Critics Say.,” Emma G. Fitzsimmons, Jan. 10, 2017