Traffic crashes killed 253 New Yorkers in 2024, averaging one fatality every 35 hours, according to a new analysis from Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. The report highlights a sharp rise in pedestrian and child deaths and calls for urgent legislative action to curb reckless driving.
The fatalities included 16 children aged 17 and under, a 33% increase from 2023, and 121 pedestrians, marking a 21% rise, according to a press release
Despite a 30% drop in speed safety camera violations since the city’s automated enforcement program expanded to operate 24/7 in 2022, repeat offenders remain a significant issue. At least 132 vehicles received 100 or more speed camera tickets in 2024, with two cars racking up over 500 speed safety camera tickets each. One driver received 562 tickets-- averaging one every 16 hours throughout the year.
Ben Furnas, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said road safety needed to be prioritized to ensure the safety of all New York City residents.
“New York City can only be the best place to raise a family if our streets are safe for everyone. Safe street infrastructure, automated enforcement, and curbing repeated speeders are key to saving lives, and there’s so much more work to do in New York City," said Furnas. "Too many pedestrians are still being killed without critical safety improvements, too many people on bikes are still being killed on streets without protected bike lanes, and too many super-speeders are putting all of us at risk while racking up hundreds of tickets."
Maria Sumba, a member of Families for Safe Streets, shared her family’s tragedy to emphasize the need for change.
“Last June, a truck driver ran over my daughters Jael and Leslie as they walked home from their last day of school. Our 16-year-old Jael was killed, and our 8-year-old Leslie survived with serious physical injuries and the psychological trauma of watching her beloved older sister die in front of her. My family will live with this horrific, previously unthinkable loss and pain for the rest of our lives,” said Sumba.
“The crash that caused it, like so many of the crashes that killed Jael and 253 other remarkable, unique people with families and dreams in New York City in 2024, was preventable. Our elected leaders must realize that their inaction has consequences in the form of dead children, siblings, parents and friends. The time is now to take action that will save other families from living this nightmare.”
Advocates are urging officials to implement measures such as mandatory intelligent speed assistance for repeat offenders, expanding protected bike lanes, and increasing intersection daylighting to prevent future fatalities.
“We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy, another injury, or another life lost to traffic violence before we take action to make our streets safer,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif.
"The statistics are harrowing: child and pedestrian fatalities are rising at an alarming rate, with 90% of these deaths occurring at intersections without proper daylighting," she said. "I urge our city to prioritize hardened universal daylighting with physical barriers at the deadliest intersections to deter vehicles from speeding and taking widened turns."
