Study on New York Traffic Accidents Released by DOT

October 10, 2010 (Press-News.org) Recently, the New York City Department of Transportation released the Pedestrian Study & Action Plan, a comprehensive look at traffic safety patterns in the city.

According to the report, New York City had 3.49 fatalities per every 100,000 residents in 2008. Putting this number in perspective, Atlanta and Detroit both experienced over 10 fatalities for every 100,000 residents in the same time period. New York City was on par with some of the most pedestrian friendly cities in the world, including London and Paris, making it one of the safer U.S. cities for those on foot.

The report also found some surprising trends. People who jaywalk were involved in fewer accidents than those who followed the signal, though jaywalkers were involved in more serious accidents. Senior citizens are particularly overrepresented in the traffic fatality numbers; accounting for 12 percent of the population, they represent 38 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. Alcohol was a factor in 8 percent of pedestrian injury accidents, compared with 13 percent nationwide.

DOT Announces New Initiatives

The report highlights the aggressive approach that the Bloomberg administration and the Department of Transportation are taking in reducing traffic and pedestrian fatalities. The goal of the DOT is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities annually by 50 percent, from over 270 deaths down to 130 by 2030. The report notes that doing so would save over 1,600 lives in the next two decades.

Through the report, the DOT announced several traffic safety initiatives that will help reduce the number of injuries and deaths. Over 1,500 pedestrian countdown signals will be installed by the end of 2011, giving priority to those intersections with a high volume of pedestrian traffic.

An additional 75 slow speed zones will be in force throughout the city. Though the slow speed zones will be centered around schools, the DOT is also piloting a neighborhood 20 mile per hour zone that, rather than focusing on an individual street, would target an entire geographic area.

The DOT will also be piloting a "daylighting" program on a Manhattan avenue. Daylighting involves removing parking spaces at the approach of an intersection, allowing drivers and pedestrians crossing the street greater visibility. The program will focus on intersections that have a high rate of left turn accidents involving pedestrians.

Working With an Experienced Attorney

Despite the cities effort to reduce pedestrian accidents, they still occur with alarming frequency. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, it is important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. You only have a limited amount of time to recover for your injuries.

Article provided by O'Connor, O'Connor, Bresee & First, P.C.
Visit us at www.personalinjuryalbany.com