Comments on: NYC Traffic Fatalities Drop, But Pedestrian Deaths Hold Steady

By: Right to Drive « carolinevitae

Right to Drive « carolinevitae — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:02:54 +0000

[...] New York City, pedestrian fatalities have decreased as a result of Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Bloomberg’s bold [...]

By: Groundbreaking NYCDOT Pedestrian Study Recommends Testing 20 mph Limit for Neighborhoods | Mobilizing the Region

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:26:07 +0000

[...] the city recorded a record low number of pedestrian fatalities in 2009 – 256 deaths during the year – the share of [...]

By: Is jaywalking legal in NYC? - New York City - New York - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:41:12 +0000

[...] crossing legally. Also, there are no stats given about pedestrian injuries — only fatalities. NYC Traffic Fatalities Drop, But Pedestrian Deaths Hold Steady | Mobilizing the Region Nope. And im just being honest. Im not going to sit at a crosswalk when there are no cars [...]

By: Kelliann Davis

Kelliann Davis — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:01:59 +0000

Thank you for writing this article. Lauren is my younger sister. She would have been 20 years old today (4/11/09). Please continue to report on this issue. There was another accident a few weeks ago involving another Division Avenue High School student. Something needs to be done about this.

Our family will be hosting an organ donors registration drive on April 29th. It would be GREAT if the information could be noted somewhere in the news.

By: Jay

Jay — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:49:46 +0000

Thanks for posting this. Unfortunately, the number of fatalities that was announced is not a very good performance measure for roadway safety. Accident rates would be preferable.

Without comparing the number of fatalities to changes in traffic volume, it’s hard to attach real meaning to the numbers. For example, a 2% decrease in the number of accidents would have a very different meaning if traffic volumes were down 20% than if volumes increased by 20%.

Additionally, there are factors other than roadway safety that influence whether an accident results in a fatality or not. Improvements in response times and advances in medical treatments could save lives that would otherwise be counted as traffic fatalities given the exact same dangerous roadway condition.