Pedestrian Safety Myths Debunked by NYC DOT Landmark Study

Last Updated on October 23, 2024 by Lawrence Berezin

Are any pedestrian safety myths real?

This remarkable study, released Monday by the DOT, will debunk pedestrian safety myths and is the most statistically ambitious of its kind ever undertaken by the U.SU.Sity

I have read this study, which is chock full of fascinating information and statistics in easy-to-understand charts and graphs representing an analysis of over 7,000 pedestrian crashes in NYC. Here are some of the surprising (maybe) results:

• Traffic crashes cost the City’s economy $4.29B annually
• Driver inattention was cited in nearly 36% of crashes, resulting in pedestrians killed or seriously injured (put away those cell phones!)
• Most New Yorkers do not know the standard speed limit for city streets is 30 mph
• 79% of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians involve private automobiles as opposed to taxis, trucks, and buses
• Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs
• 43% of pedestrians killed in Manhattan lived in another borough or outside of New York City
• 2009 was the safest year on record in NYC history
• NYC’s traffic fatality rate is about one-quarter of the national rate and less than half the rate of the next ten largest U.SU.S.ties
• And much more.

So, What’s the plan?

I’m glad you asked. Here are some highlights:

• Install countdown pedestrian signals at 1,500 intersections
• Re-engineer 60 miles of streets for more excellent pedestrian safety, according to corridor crash data
• RE-engineer 20 intersections for pedestrian safety on major Manhattan two-way streets
• And more.

Can you guess the top 10 accident hotspots in NYC?

The NYC personal injury law firm of Chopra & Norcerino created a valuable guide to alert you to these dangerous roadways. Check it out.

You’ll be glad you did.

Commentary

Think about the travails of the driving public while trying to navigate the mean streets and sidewalks of NYC painlessly. You enter NYC, and your first challenge is to make it through the congested intersections without being issued a parking ticket for blocking the box. You travel the highways and byways of NYC until you find an on-street parking space near your destination. Your second challenge is deciphering the hieroglyphics displayed on an NYC parking sign without being issued an expensive parking ticket.

After reading this report, your third challenge is negotiating the dangerous sidewalks to reach your destination without being hit by a male operator of a private passenger vehicle talking on his cell phone. Whew…

The big but is that NYC really deserves a standing ovation for its accomplishments in driver/pedestrian safety. We are all still much safer making our journeys in NYC than in any other major city in the world.

Keep up the excellent work, NYC!

Would you like to read the NYC Pedestrian Safety Action Plan? If yes, click away, mon ami

How would you like to eliminate motor vehicle noise? Is it possible? Click gently to find out.

Please tell us your reactions to the information in this fantastic study. What surprised you? Please comment. Your opinion matters to all of us.

(Larry’s note: great article summarizing this study in the N.Y. N.Y. .es, authored by Michael M. Grynbaum. The image at the top of the page is from this article)