New York City Pedestrian Accident Statistics [2026]

In 2025, New York City recorded its safest year for pedestrians since the city began keeping records in 1910. Roughly 111 pedestrians were killed on city streets, out of 205 total traffic deaths, also an all-time low. That is real progress. It is also still one pedestrian killed roughly every three days, in a city where walking is how millions of people get around.

These New York City pedestrian accident statistics matter for two reasons. For residents, they reveal patterns: which boroughs, which hours, which intersections, and which people are most at risk. For anyone who has been struck by a vehicle, or lost a family member to one, the numbers also sit behind a legal question. What happened, who was responsible, and what rights does the injured person have?

This post walks through the year-by-year trend from 2014 to 2025 and the borough breakdown. It covers when and why crashes happen, who is most vulnerable, what New York City is doing through Vision Zero, and the legal rights of an injured pedestrian under New York law.

New York City Pedestrian Accident Statistics: Year-by-Year Trend

New York City recorded 111 pedestrian deaths in 2025, the lowest total since records began in 1910. In 2024, 122 pedestrians were killed, an 18% increase over the 95 deaths in 2023. Since Vision Zero launched in 2014, annual pedestrian fatalities have fallen more than 40% from the pre-program baseline. Thousands more pedestrians are injured each year.

The headline number hides a more complicated story. Pedestrian deaths in New York City have not fallen in a straight line. They have risen and dropped year to year, shaped by everything from a global pandemic to the rollout of 24/7 speed cameras. The table below tracks the trend across the Vision Zero era.

A few moments stand out. After Vision Zero's 2014 launch, deaths actually ticked up to a decade-high of about 148 in 2016, before a dramatic 32% drop in 2017. The pandemic year of 2020 produced an artificial low driven by empty streets, followed by a rebound as drivers returned, often at higher speeds. The most painful reversal came in 2024. Pedestrian deaths jumped 18% in a single year, from 95 to 122, alarming safety advocates who feared a decade of progress was unraveling. Then 2025 brought the lowest count on record.

Injury data is less consistent year to year, because press releases often report total injuries across all modes rather than a pedestrian-only count. As a benchmark, the city reported roughly 6,400 pedestrians injured in 2020 and about 8,800 in 2023. In 2025, total traffic injuries across all modes fell 7.7%, from 51,540 in 2024 to 47,557, according to NYC DOT. The injuries are the larger, quieter story behind the fatalities. For every pedestrian killed, dozens more are hospitalized.

Which Borough Has the Most Pedestrian Accidents in NYC?

Brooklyn and Queens consistently lead the city in raw crash and fatality counts. That is partly a function of their size and the volume of foot and vehicle traffic. In 2024, Brooklyn recorded 22,781 total crashes (9,990 with injuries and 53 fatal), while Queens recorded 17,808 crashes (7,632 with injuries and 30 fatal). These are all-mode crash counts, not pedestrian-only figures, but they track closely with where pedestrians are most exposed.

The 2025 borough picture showed broad improvement, though unevenly:

• Queens: Total traffic deaths fell 23%, from 74 to 57.
• Brooklyn: Total traffic deaths fell 9%, from 69 to 63.
• The Bronx: Total traffic deaths fell 39%, one of the steepest declines in the city.
• Staten Island: Recorded a slight increase of one fatality.

Even improving boroughs carry warning signs. In Queens, serious pedestrian injuries rose significantly between 2022 and 2024. Fewer deaths does not always mean fewer life-altering injuries. Manhattan tends to have a lower fatality rate relative to its crash volume because traffic moves more slowly there. Pedestrian fatalities on Manhattan's priority corridors have dropped roughly 45% since the Vision Zero baseline. Staten Island sees the fewest incidents overall, but its higher-speed roads and stretches without sidewalks make individual crashes more dangerous.

A handful of corridors account for an outsized share of the danger citywide: Queens Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue, the Grand Concourse, Fordham Road, and Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island. These wide, fast arterials are where the city has concentrated much of its redesign work.

One number shows how much room remains. According to Transportation Alternatives, 89% of pedestrians killed in 2025 died on streets eligible for speed-limit reductions under Sammy's Law. That is authority the city has not yet fully used.

When Do Most Pedestrian Accidents Happen in NYC?

The most dangerous hours for pedestrians are the evening, roughly 3 PM to 9 PM, when the afternoon commute overlaps with fading daylight. Around 22% of pedestrian crashes occur on weekdays between 3 and 7 PM. Nationally, about 75% of fatal pedestrian crashes happen after dark. That pattern holds in New York City, and it helps explain why the city runs a seasonal "Dusk and Darkness" safety campaign from October through February, when sunset arrives earlier.

The day of the week shapes the type of crash as much as the count. Weekdays bring more total incidents but at lower speeds, tied to commuting volume. Weekends produce fewer but more severe nighttime crashes, often linked to impaired driving and higher speeds on emptier roads.

Location matters too. In the second quarter of 2025, 67% of pedestrian crashes occurred at intersections and 25% happened mid-block. That intersection concentration is exactly why so much of the city's safety engineering targets the moments when pedestrians and turning vehicles meet.

Who Is Most at Risk in a Pedestrian Accident?

Age is one of the strongest predictors of pedestrian death in New York City. Seniors 65 and older are significantly overrepresented among pedestrian fatalities relative to their share of the population, according to the NYC Health Department and NYC DOT data. Older pedestrians cross more slowly and are more physically fragile. They are frequently struck in daylight at marked crosswalks, situations where they were doing everything right.

Children sit at the other end of the spectrum, and 2025 brought genuine good news. Six children were killed in 2025, down 63% from 16 in 2024, tied for the fewest in the Vision Zero era. The losses that did occur were concentrated in Brooklyn and included three very young children, ages 8, 8, and 5, killed while crossing the street.

Younger and middle-aged adults make up the largest share of those injured rather than killed. They walk the most and have the highest exposure during daily commutes.

New York City has built specific programs around these patterns. Safe Streets for Seniors redesigns streets in neighborhoods with large older populations and lengthens crosswalk signal timing so slower walkers can cross safely. School-zone speed reductions and targeted intersection improvements address child safety. The data suggests the child-focused work is paying off. The senior numbers show how much remains.

What Are the Leading Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in NYC?

Most pedestrian crashes in New York City trace back to a small set of driver behaviors. Understanding them clarifies both how to stay safer and, after a crash, where fault usually lies.

Failure to yield is the city's top enforcement priority. Under New York City's Right of Way Law (NYC Admin Code § 19-190), a driver who strikes a pedestrian with the right of way in a crosswalk can face a criminal misdemeanor charge. The NYPD issued approximately 39,000 failure-to-yield summonses in fiscal year 2025.

Speeding is the single biggest factor in how severe a crash becomes. A pedestrian's odds of surviving fall sharply as vehicle speed rises. NYC DOT's speed camera program achieved a 94% reduction in speeding at camera locations over the program's first ten years, according to a 2025 NYC DOT report.

Distracted driving, smartphones above all, remains a persistent contributor. The NYPD runs periodic enforcement blitzes targeting it.

Turning maneuvers, especially left turns, are involved in an outsized share of pedestrian crashes. A left-turning driver crosses the path of pedestrians while focused on oncoming traffic. The city's Leading Pedestrian Intervals were designed specifically to address this. They have cut pedestrian and cyclist serious injuries from left-turning vehicles by 56% at treated intersections.

Large vehicles such as trucks, SUVs, and buses cause more harm per crash because of their bigger blind spots and greater impact force. The city has added side guards to trucks and improved bus mirror designs in response.

Impaired driving from alcohol or drugs shows up more often in nighttime and weekend fatal crashes.

Finally, pedestrian behavior such as crossing outside a crosswalk or walking while distracted contributes in a subset of cases. It is worth being precise here. Even when a pedestrian is not in a crosswalk, a driver still has a legal duty to avoid hitting them. A pedestrian's mistake rarely erases a driver's responsibility. It usually just affects how fault is divided.

What Is Vision Zero and Has It Worked?

Vision Zero is New York City's traffic safety program, launched in 2014 with a single goal: eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. More than a decade in, 2025 was the closest the city has come, with total traffic deaths down 31% since the program began. The honest answer to "has it worked" is yes, substantially. And not completely, which is the entire point of a goal of zero.

Several specific measures drive the results:

• A citywide 25 MPH default speed limit, set in 2014, is the foundation everything else builds on. Lower speeds mean more survivable crashes.
• 24/7 speed cameras, activated on August 1, 2022, produced a 94% reduction in speeding at camera locations and roughly a 30% drop in severe injuries at those sites.
• Leading Pedestrian Intervals give pedestrians a head start at the crosswalk before vehicles get a green light. They have cut pedestrian and cyclist serious injuries by 56% at treated intersections from left-turning vehicles.
• Street redesigns reshape dangerous corridors entirely. The city completed 57 street improvement projects in fiscal year 2025. The Queens Boulevard rebuild stands as the flagship example of turning a notorious arterial into a far safer one.
• Sammy's Law, passed by New York State, lets New York City lower speed limits below 25 MPH. As noted above, 89% of 2025 pedestrian deaths occurred on streets eligible for these reductions, a gap advocates argue the city should close more aggressively.

The program's equity outcomes are notable. The largest declines in pedestrian fatalities came in lower-income neighborhoods, which saw a 34% drop. Neighborhoods that are more than 80% Asian, Black, or Hispanic saw a 32% decline. These are communities that historically bore a heavier share of traffic deaths.

Legal Rights After a Pedestrian Accident in New York City

If you were struck by a vehicle in New York City, the statistics above point to a hard truth. Most pedestrian crashes are not random accidents. They result from a driver's failure to yield, speeding, or distraction. New York law gives injured pedestrians several layers of protection, and the deadlines to act are strict.

This information is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

No-Fault Insurance: The First Layer

New York is a no-fault state. Pedestrians are covered under the no-fault (PIP) policy of the vehicle that struck them, regardless of who was at fault. No-fault benefits provide up to $50,000 toward medical expenses and lost wages.

The most important detail is the deadline. A no-fault application generally must be filed within 30 days of the accident. Missing it can jeopardize your benefits.

No-fault has an important limit. It does not pay for pain and suffering. To recover for those non-economic damages, an injured pedestrian must bring a separate liability claim against the at-fault driver. They must also meet New York's "serious injury" threshold, which covers categories such as broken bones, significant disfigurement, or permanent disability. Most serious pedestrian injuries meet this threshold, but not every injury does.

Your Right to Compensation

Beyond no-fault, an injured pedestrian can pursue a personal injury claim against an at-fault driver for negligence. Damages can include medical bills, lost wages, future care costs, and pain and suffering. New York places no statutory cap on personal injury damages.

New York also follows a pure comparative negligence rule under CPLR § 1411. An injured pedestrian can recover even if partially at fault, but the award is reduced by their percentage of fault. If a pedestrian is found 20% responsible, for example, a $100,000 award becomes $80,000. The driver must still bear the primary responsibility for the crash.

Pedestrian Right of Way

A pedestrian crossing with a walk signal generally has the right of way under New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law. New York City's Right of Way Law (NYC Admin Code § 19-190) goes further. It makes it a misdemeanor for a driver to fail to yield and injure a pedestrian who has the right of way in a crosswalk. When a driver is ticketed for failure to yield, that citation can be strong evidence of negligence in a civil case.

Hit-and-Run or Uninsured Drivers

When the driver flees or has no insurance, the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) can step in. It provides both no-fault benefits and bodily injury compensation. Important deadlines apply. You must file a police report within 24 hours of a hit-and-run accident to preserve MVAIC eligibility. For a hit-and-run accident, the MVAIC notice of intention must generally be filed within 90 days. Speak with an attorney immediately to understand which deadline applies to your situation.

Statute of Limitations

New York's filing deadlines are firm:

• Personal injury: three years from the date of the accident (CPLR § 214).
• Wrongful death: two years from the date of death (EPTL § 5-4.1).
• Claims against a government entity (a city vehicle or an MTA bus, for instance): a Notice of Claim must be filed within 90 days under General Municipal Law § 50-e, with the lawsuit itself filed within one year and 90 days.

These shorter government deadlines catch many injured people off guard. That is one reason early legal guidance matters.

What to Do After Being Hit by a Car

If you are struck by a vehicle in New York City, these steps protect both your health and your claim:

1. Call 911 to get police and emergency medical services on scene.
2. Do not leave before police arrive.
3. Get the driver's name, license, insurance, and plate number.
4. Photograph the scene, the vehicle, and your injuries.
5. Collect names and contact information from any witnesses.
6. Seek medical attention that same day, even if you feel fine. Injuries often surface later.
7. File your no-fault application within 30 days.
8. Speak with a personal injury attorney before giving any statement to an insurance adjuster.

To put these rights in context, consider one case our firm handled. An 83-year-old pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and suffered multiple fractures, and the case resolved for $1,200,000. It reflects exactly the senior-vulnerability pattern the data shows: older pedestrians struck in everyday situations, facing serious, lasting injuries. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Related Questions

Can I sue if I was jaywalking when I was hit?

Often, yes. New York's comparative negligence rule means crossing outside a crosswalk does not automatically bar recovery. A driver still has a duty to avoid striking a pedestrian, even one who is not in a crosswalk. If you were partly at fault, your compensation is reduced by that percentage rather than eliminated. The specific facts determine how fault is divided.

How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in New York?

For most personal injury claims, three years from the accident date under CPLR § 214. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death under EPTL § 5-4.1. If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle or MTA bus — a Notice of Claim is due within 90 days. That far shorter window is easy to miss.

Does New York no-fault insurance cover pedestrians?

Yes. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle is covered under that vehicle's no-fault (PIP) policy, regardless of fault, for up to $50,000 in medical and lost wages. The application must be filed within 30 days. No-fault does not cover pain and suffering, which requires a separate liability claim and meeting the serious injury threshold.

What are the most dangerous streets for pedestrians in New York City?

A small number of wide, fast arterials account for an outsized share of pedestrian crashes citywide. They include Queens Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue, the Grand Concourse, Fordham Road, and Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island. The city has concentrated much of its Vision Zero redesign work on exactly these corridors, and Queens Boulevard in particular has become a model for transforming a dangerous arterial.

Sources & Official Resources

New York Laws Cited

1. CPLR § 1411 — Comparative Negligence
2. CPLR § 214 — Statute of Limitations (Personal Injury — 3 Years)
3. EPTL § 5-4.1 — Wrongful Death Action (2 Years)
4. General Municipal Law § 50-E — Notice of Claim (90 Days)

NYC Laws Cited 5. NYC Administrative Code § 19-190 — Right of Way / Failure to Yield

Statistics Sources 6. NYC DOT — Traffic Deaths Reach All-time Low (2025 Annual Report) 7. NYC DOT — Speed Camera 94% Reduction in Speeding (2025) 8. NYC DOT — Vision Zero: 10 Years of Results 9. NYC DOT — Don't Cut Corners: Left Turn Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Study 10. NYC Department of Financial Services — No-Fault Insurance FAQ

Contact The Orlow Firm

If you or a loved one was struck by a vehicle on a New York City street, the statistics above make one thing clear. Pedestrian accidents are rarely random. They are usually the result of driver negligence: a failure to yield, excessive speed, or distraction. You have legal rights, and the deadlines to act are strict.

The Orlow Firm has handled pedestrian accident cases in Queens and across New York City for more than 40 years. Call (646) 647-3398 for a free consultation. We work on contingency, so there is no charge unless we win, and we have four NYC offices, with the ability to come to you if you cannot come to us.

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