Here’s How New York Ranks For Pedestrian Traffic Deaths

Pedestrian traffic deaths increased a dramatic 35 percent in the United States from 2008 to 2017. However, it’s not all bad news for the growing safety concern nationwide.

New York ranks sixth in the country for most pedestrian traffic deaths in the first six months of 2018, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The safety organization looked at pedestrian traffic deaths in every state to see which had the highest rates. The group then broke down the information by total number of fatalities, fatality rates per 100,000 people and the percent change from the same time period in 2017.

New York has one of the lowest pedestrian traffic fatality rates in the nation.

• Number of pedestrian traffic deaths: 117
• Pedestrian traffic fatalities per 100,000: 0.60
• Percent change from 2017 to 2018: 4 percent

The study found that based on the number of pedestrian fatalities during the first six months of 2018, along with reports from prior years, there were a projected 6,227 pedestrian deaths in 2018, which is an estimated 4 percent increase from 2017.

Our state isn’t taking a backseat approach to aiding with the growing problem.

According to the report:

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), and the NYS Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) are continuing to play key roles
in pedestrian safety guided by the New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The $110 million initiative identifies 20 “focus communities,” which account for nearly 50 percent of all pedestrian crashes. The five-year plan calls for a variety of low-cost engineering improvements undertaken by NYS DOT, enforcement strategies organized by GTSC and educational/public information initiatives spearheaded by NYS DOH.

NYS DOT is conducting pedestrian safety site evaluations at approximately 2,000 unsignalized midblock crosswalks and 2,400 signalized crosswalks on state-maintained routes in urban areas. Improvements to crosswalk safety design and construction, consisting of proven countermeasures to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, are also ongoing.

GTSC planned, promoted and coordinated two, six-hour pedestrian safety training workshops for law enforcement officers. Officers learned about the state’s plan to address pedestrian injuries and fatalities, relevant vehicle and traffic laws, pedestrian crash issues and data. They were also given tools and strategies for the effective implementation of pedestrian education and enforcement countermeasures.

GTSC also conducted an annual pedestrian safety enforcement mobilization. GTSC worked with police agencies covering 20 designated PSAP “focus communities” to allocate a portion of their PTS grant to fund additional patrols during the high-visibility blitz, “Operation See! Be Seen!” Grantees were encouraged to issue warnings and educational materials prepared by the NYS DOH to pedestrians and drivers found violating safety laws during the first week of the campaign, and citations during the second week.

New York City has its own pedestrian safety initiative known as Vision Zero. Age-appropriate educational and outreach programs are provided at hundreds of schools and senior centers in target communities. Multi-language presentations are provided to parents at health centers, schools and public assistance centers. Outreach to schools includes meetings with principals and school staff and walking tours to identify issues around the locations. New York City’s Department of Transportation also staffs street teams to engage with community residents and business owners in high-risk corridors.

You’ll want to be extra careful walking alongside a road in New Mexico. The state finished with the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the nation, with 2.26 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Pedestrian fatality rates have been on the increase in the United States. The number of deaths increased by 35 percent in recent years, going from 4,414 total deaths in 2008 to 5,977 deaths in 2017, according to the safety administration.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause for the uptick, the government highway group sites the national shift away from passenger cars to larger trucks and the growth of smartphone use as two possible reasons.

It’s not all bad news for pedestrian fatality rates in 2018:

• Pedestrian deaths during the first half of 2018 declined in 23 states compared with the same period in 2017.
• Six states had double-digit declines in both the number and percent change in pedestrian fatalities from 2017.
• Three states reported two consecutive years of a declining number of pedestrian deaths.

Here are the 10 states with the most pedestrian traffic deaths in the first half of 2018:

1. California: 432
2. Florida: 330
3. Texas: 298
4. Georgia: 133
5. Arizona: 125
6. New York: 117
7. North Carolina: 102
8. Pennsylvania: 90
9. Illinois: 80
10. Louisiana: 77

Patch reporter Gus Saltonstall contributed to this report.