NYC Traffic Deaths Poised To Hit Historic Low, City Says

NEW YORK — New York City is expected to close 2018 with the fewest traffic deaths in more than a century, city officials say. Some 196 people had died in traffic crashes this year as of Thursday —the fewest since record-keeping began in 1910, Mayor Bill de Blasio's office said.

The figure is down from 221 at the same point last year and reflects a 34 percent decrease since 2013, the year before the de Blasio administration launched its "Vision Zero" initiative to drive down traffic deaths.

The fifth consecutive year-to-year drop in total deaths comes despite increases in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities. Some 111 pedestrians had died as of Dec. 27, up from 106 in the same period last year, while the number of motorcycle deaths rose to 39 from 33, city statistics show.

"(N)o loss of life on our streets is acceptable, and the twelve pedestrians killed so far this past month are a sober reminder that this new milestone is less a cause for celebration than a reminder that even with this year’s success, we have much more to do to meet our ambitious goal," de Blasio a Democrat, said in a statement Friday.

This year has seen significant drops in cyclist and motorist deaths, statistics show. There were just 10 bicycle fatalities as of Dec. 27, less than half the 24 recorded at that point in 2017. And just 36 motor vehicle deaths had been recorded on that date, a nearly 38 percent drop from last year's 58.

Traffic fatalities are down in every borough except Queens — 71 deaths had occurred there as of Thursday, up from 62 last year, officials said.

Manhattan saw the biggest decrease with just 27 deaths as of Dec. 27, a 40 percent drop from last year and the borough's fewest ever, officials say. Manhattan's total grew by one on Saturday when a Mill Basin woman was killed in a car crash near the West Side Highway.

Staten Island also set a record low with just 6 fatalities as of Thursday, down from 15 last year, according to City Hall.

City officials touted efforts such as the expansion of bike lanes, traffic enforcement and the continuation of the city's school-zone speed camera program, which lapsed over the summer.

"Five years into Vision Zero, New York City has seen lower fatalities each year, encouraging results unparalleled among American cities," Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a statement. "We have been especially gratified that after years of increasing cyclist fatalities, cycling deaths are declining this year to their annual lowest levels ever — even as cycling experiences greater ridership than ever."

(Lead image: Cars drive through traffic in Brooklyn on July 30, 2018. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)