NYC Releases Ped Report

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The NY Times and NYC Streetsblog are buzzing over a report released Aug 16 by the NY DOT. The The New York City Pedestrian Safety Study & Action Plan evaluated crash data from about 7,000 severe and fatal pedestrian crashes to better understand the facors that impede pedestrian safety in the city--and help to address them. The report includes some pretty interesting/depressing info about the impact of pedestrian fatalities on the city (e.g. pedestrian crashes are the number 2 killer of children in NYC and pedestrian crashes cost the city $1.38 million per year). Some more key findings:

• Pedestrians are 10 times more likely to die than a motor vehicle occupant in the event of a crash.
• Pedestrians accounted for 52% of traffic fatalities from 2005-2009.  
• Driver inattention was cited in nearly 36% of crashes resulting in pedestrians killed or seriously injured.  
• 27% of fatal pedestrian crashes involved driver failure to yield.
• 80% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve male drivers.
• 79% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve private vehicles, not taxis, trucks and buses.

Happily in all this negativity there was at least one encouraging statistic:

• Traffic fatalities in 2009 were down by 35% from 2001. 

 Way to go Janette Sadik-Khan. Now will you move to LA?

 

Read the full report here.