Pedestrian Fatalities in New York City Lowest on Record in 2014

 Pedestrian deaths in New York City dropped to a historic low in 2014 after a major push by the city and its mayor to make the streets less dangerous. According to a New York Times report, 134 pedestrians died in traffic accidents in 2014, the lowest total for a year since the city started to keep records 100 years ago. In 2013, there were 180 pedestrian accident deaths in the city, the highest number in a decade. In 2014, overall traffic fatalities fell to 248, from 293 the previous year. There were 20 bicycle accident deaths in 2013, an increase from 12 deaths in 2013. Also, there were 37 motorcycle deaths in 2014, down from 42 deaths in 2013.

The Vision Zero Plan
The city is still putting into place Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan, a set of proposals intended to eliminate traffic deaths. This plan was modeled after a Swedish approach that treats all traffic deaths and serious injuries as preventable. Vision Zero envisions completely eliminating traffic deaths by 2024. Among the initiatives in 2014 were setting up cameras to detect speeding in school zones, lowering the city’s default speed limit to 25 mph from 30 mph and increased enforcement of traffic rules.
The City Council has also passed laws on traffic safety including one called Cooper’s Law, named after a 9-year-old boy who was killed after being struck by a taxicab on the Upper West Side. This bill allows the city to suspend and revoke the license of a taxi or livery driver who kills or injures a pedestrian who has the right of way. Also, police have tightened enforcement against reckless drivers increasing summonses for speeding by 42 percent and for failure to yield to pedestrians by 126 percent.
Compensation for Injured Pedestrians
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, 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. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man 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.
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 cases in 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: The New York Times