New York City is on course this year to record the highest number of deaths of 
drivers and passengers since it launched its Vision Zero traffic safety initiative. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the rise in deaths comes even as crashes and traffic dropped during the coronavirus pandemic. Speeding and reckless driving on emptier roads during the lockdown, especially at night, caused the increase, city transportation officials said. They said many police reports this year involved drivers speeding and vehicle occupants traveling without wearing seatbelts.
This year, through Dec. 16, New York City reported 234 traffic accident deaths – a number that includes pedestrians and bicyclists. They include 115 car drivers, motorcyclists and passengers who have been killed, a 69% increase from the same period last year and the highest number of such deaths since 2006. Meanwhile, pedestrian deaths are on track to reach a record low this year.
Factors That Have Fueled the Trend
The fatalities have mounted despite the total number of car accidents in which people were injured or killed falling to about 22,000 for the period between April and Nov. 30. That’s about 30% lower than the same period last year, a Wall Street Journal analysis of transportation department data showed. For every 1,000 major traffic accidents during the pandemic, there were 8.6 deaths – nearly twice as many as in the past three years.
Officials said this increase in road deaths has been concentrated on highways in the outer boroughs especially in Queens, where pedestrian and bicyclist deaths rose by about 25% and in the Bronx, where they increased by 50%, compared to the last three years. While drivers involved in these deadly crashes span all age groups, they are overwhelmingly men. A recent AAA survey found that men are more likely than women to speed, tailgate and merge dangerously.
The higher number of traffic fatalities during this pandemic also bucks the trend where economic downturns and reduced traffic typically lead to fewer traffic accident deaths. Researchers say this is largely because of speeding and passengers not wearing seatbelts. Also, older drivers, who are usually more careful, have stayed home, while risk-averse younger drivers have taken to the roads. Federal researchers have also observed an increase in alcohol and drug use because of the pandemic.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of car accidents can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they may be able to seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in the collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one million dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-traffic-deaths-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic-11608382800