New York has seen significant improvements in the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. Mayor De Blasio has made pedestrian safety a major part of his agenda with the enactment of Vision Zero. However, numbers from the New York City data portal shows that the city still has strides to take to preserve pedestrian safety.
There were 588 pedestrian fatalities and 44,360 pedestrian injuries between 2013 and 2016 in New York City. 2013 was the most dangerous year of the past four years for pedestrians, followed by 2014.
NYC Pedestrian Accident Statistics
- 2013: 11,613 Accidents with injuries reported
- 2014: 10,697
- 2015: 9,836
- 2016: 10,437
NYC Pedestrian Fatalities
- 2013: 176
- 2014: 133
- 2015: 133
- 2016: 146
Brooklyn
Brooklyn had the most pedestrian accident injuries between 2013 and 2016, totaling 13,207. There were a total of 142 pedestrian fatalities. According to Brooklyn’s Pedestrian Safety Action plan, Brooklyn has the second lowest fatality rate of all the boroughs.
Most Dangerous Streets
- Nostrand Avenue | 483 accidents
- 3 Avenue | 382 accidents
- Atlantic Avenue | 365 accidents
- 4 Avenue | 343 accidents
- Fulton St | 340 accidents
Manhattan
Coming in second for the most pedestrian accidents between 2013 and 2016, Manhattan had a total of 9,768 pedestrian injuries and 104 fatalities. Manhattan saw the biggest decrease in pedestrian accidents between 2013 and 2016, with 2,704 pedestrian accidents in 2013 and 1,190 in 2016.
Most Dangerous Streets
- Broadway | 767 accidents
- Third Ave | 603 accidents
- Second Ave | 593 accidents
- First Ave | 549 accidents
- Seventh Ave | 458 accidents
These streets run through the heart of Manhattan. While the data does not include this correlation, it is important to keep in mind these streets are filled with tourist pedestrians who are likely not as ept to the hustle-and-bustle of the Big Apple.
Queens
There were 8,801 pedestrian injuries in Queens between 2013 and 2016. 123 pedestrians were killed. In 2014, an accident in Queens left 15 pedestrians injured, the most pedestrians injured in a single accident of the 5 boroughs between 2013-2016. Unfortunately, Queens was the only borough to see an increase in pedestrian accidents between 2015 and 2016, with 1,963 in 2015 and 2,000 in 2016.
Most Dangerous Streets
- N Boulevard | 370 accidents
- Jamaica Ave | 306 accidents
- Hillside Ave | 276 accidents
- Queens Boulevard | 264 accidents
- Roosevelt Ave | 250 accidents
Bronx
There were 5,694 pedestrian accident injuries and 62 pedestrian fatalities in the Bronx between 2013 and 2016. According to the Bronx Pedestrian Safety Plan, dangerous driver choices are the primary cause or contributing factor for 85% of pedestrian accidents in the Bronx, compared to 69% in all of New York City. Unfortunately, the Bronx has a higher fatality rate than all of New York City.
- Whites Plain Road | 260 accidents
- Jerome Avenue | 253 accidents
- Westchester Road | 249 accidents
- Grand Concourse | 236 accidents
- East Tremont Avenue | 238 accidents
Staten Island
Staten Island had the least pedestrian accidents between 2013 and 2016. There was a total of 1,022 pedestrian injuries and 16 pedestrian fatalities. While Staten Island has significantly less accidents than the other four boroughs, it has benefited the least from Vision Zero, according to Staten Island Live. It is the only borough that has not seen a decrease in pedestrian deaths in the last 30 years.
- Hylan Boulevard | 166 accidents
- Victory Boulevard | 66 accidents
- Forest Ave | 53 accidents
- Bay Street | 45 accidents
- Amboy Road | 43 accidents
Hylan Boulevard has over two times the number of accidents as Victory Boulevard. In 2015, Staten Island Live published an article labeling Hylan Boulevard the “Boulevard of Death.”
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods for Pedestrian
The most dangerous neighborhood for pedestrian in NYC is Flatbush in Brooklyn. The 11226 area code saw 670 pedestrian injuries and 6 fatalities. Following Flatbush with 605 pedestrian injuries and 3 fatalities is the 10016 area code in Midtown. The third most dangerous area code is 11207 in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. There were 568 pedestrian injuries and 8 fatalities. The intersection at Linden Blvd and Ashford St alone had two fatalities and nine accidents with injuries. Located right next to number 3 is the fourth most dangerous zip code, 11212, in the Brownsville neighborhood with 525 pedestrian injuries and 6 deaths. Rounding out the top 5 and keeping in the same neighborhood as the previous two is ZIP 11213 with 527 pedestrian injuries and 4 fatalities. This ZIP includes the Brooklyn Children's Museum and part of the Crown Heights neighborhood.
Seven of the most dangerous zip codes for pedestrian are located in Brooklyn, the other three are in Manhattan. Queens' most dangerous ZIP, 11355, ranks at #12, Bronx's most dangerous, 10467, comes in at #15, and Staten Island most dangerous, 10305, at #90.
Top Contributing Factors in New York City Pedestrian Accidents
- Distracted Driving: 5495
- Failure to yield right of way: 5304
- Backing Unsafely 1,342
- Passenger Distraction: 1,325
- View Obstructed: 762
- Other Vehicular: 469
- Traffic Control Disregarded: 469
- Glare: 430
- Slippery Pavement: 309
- Prescription Medication: 296
As the leading cause of car accidents in the nation, it does not come as much of a surprise that distracted driving tops this list. Other contributing factors not included in the top 10 were road rage, alcohol, pedestrian error or confusion, and fatigued driving.
Only 64 accidents were caused by unsafe speed. While speed is a particularly deadly factor for pedestrians when they are hit by a car, it is unlikely that cars are able to reach excessive speeds that increase the likelihood of death due to New York City’s congested roads. However, drivers behind the wheel should be particularly wary of their speed in pedestrian heavy areas. The average person’s chance of death goes from 7% when hit by a car going 20 miles per hour, to 20% when hit by a car going 30 mph.
Because pedestrians are much more prone to injuries or fatalities than people in cars, they have to be very aware of their surroundings and take extra safety precautions.
- Always walk in the crosswalk if possible.
- Obey all traffic signals and signs.
- Never assume a driver sees you, try to make eye contact.
- Try to wear bright clothing to increase your visibility
- Do not text or talk on the phone while crossing the street.
Whether or not you are severely injured, being hit by a car can be an extremely traumatic. If you or a loved one has been in a pedestrian accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Resource: NYC Open Data
