Child and pedestrian fatalities rose across New York City in 2024, according to a study released on Tuesday, as officials and advocacy groups continue to tout speed camera success throughout the city.
Traffic crashes killed 253 New Yorkers — or one person every 35 hours — based on the new data reviewed by transportation groups Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. The shocking data shows an alarming 21% increase in pedestrian fatalities from 2023 to 2024.
Child fatalities rose 33% in 2024, from 12 to 16, tied with 2022 as the worst year for child fatalities under Vision Zero—the city’s ongoing traffic safety strategy that aims to eliminate traffic deaths.
Notably, the new data follows a Thursday report from the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) showing that speed cameras in NYC have helped reduce major crashes.
The DOT’s research from last week, which zeroed in on 2021 to 2023, showed that speed cameras reduced traffic injuries and fatalities in the city. According to the report, streets with cameras installed in 2022 saw 14% fewer injuries and fatalities than locations without cameras.
Despite the rise in fatalities last year, Transportation Alternatives representatives said the speed camera program “demonstrates remarkable success” at changing the behavior of all but the most “egregious” and recidivist drivers who ignore the law.
“New York City can only be the best place to raise a family if our streets are safe for everyone,” said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “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.”
According to Transportation Alternatives research, speed camera violations dropped by 30% since 2022, when the camera system went 24/7.
However, the report stated that at least 132 vehicles received 100 or more speed safety camera tickets in 2024, breaking down the numbers further. Two vehicles received more than 500 speed safety camera tickets, with one New York driver receiving 562 tickets in 2024.
“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,” Furnas said. “These numbers are a sobering call to action for everyone who cares about safety in the five boroughs.”
But DOT representatives said the report does not spotlight historic decreases in fatalities on city streets.
“Last year NYC DOT recorded the fewest fatalities since the onset of the pandemic, but our life-saving safety work continues because one life lost to traffic violence is one too many,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “This report fails to acknowledge the year-over-year decreases in pedestrian fatalities and new data around indiscriminate daylighting efforts, as well as many of the vital efforts NYC DOT is already undertaking to address these trends.”
The spokesperson also pointed out that while automated enforcement successfully changes the behavior among most drivers, DOT has made clear the city needs new tools to address few reckless drivers who put others on the road at risk.
‘Potential for errors’ with speed cameras
Meanwhile, as pedestrian fatalities increase while the city’s speed-camera program expands, some legal experts say it is important to consider possible downsides to automated ticketing.
“It’s crucial to examine all aspects of road safety,” said a spokesperson for Bader Scott Injury Lawyers.
Attorneys at the firm, based in Georgia, another state that uses speed cameras, said there are concerns not only about due process but the potential for errors in automated ticketing systems.
“Additionally, the focus on speed cameras might detract from addressing other critical factors contributing to accidents, such as driver distraction or road conditions,” the firm’s spokesperson said. “As for other reasons behind reduced driving speeds, it’s worth considering factors like increased traffic congestion, rising fuel costs or even a heightened awareness of road safety due to public campaigns.”
But still, speed cameras work, according to Alexa Sledge, who also works at Transportation Alternatives. She added that more needs to be done to crack down on “super speeders” who rack up hundreds of tickets.
She also supports NYS legislation that would put speed-limiting devices in the vehicles of drivers who are repeat offenders.
“We need to complement the successful speed camera program with legislation up in Albany that would require speed limiters to be installed in vehicles that are repeatedly speeding,” she said. “This would require repeat reckless drivers to remain at 5 mph over the speed limit or below so they’re following the rules of the road just like everyone else and prevent the crashes that are killing New Yorkers.”
Reckless drivers and speeding laws
Meanwhile, New Yorkers, parents, and elected officials continue to advocate for stricter laws surrounding speeding, including the use of speeding cameras and other tools.
Just last year, an 8-year-old boy in Queens was killed by a reckless driver who was arrested and charged with not only speeding but also criminally negligent homicide, failure to yield to a pedestrian, and failure to exercise due care.
“The numbers don’t lie. This city is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to street safety and protecting the lives of New Yorkers from traffic violence,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said. “These increases in pedestrian fatalities, and especially child fatalities, are heartbreaking.”
The beep did not mention speed cameras but said Sammy’s Law, which allows NYC to lower the speed limit to 20 mph in certain areas, and congestion pricing are effective when it comes to traffic safety.
“I am hopeful that we can build on the momentum of recent street safety wins, such as Sammy’s Law and the Congestion Relief Zone, and implement the evidence-backed measures we know can keep our neighbors safe,” Reynoso said.
The DOT began lowering speed limits in select locations following the enactment of Sammy’s Law in 2024. The law was named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was struck and killed by a driver in Brooklyn in 2013.
A law in Albany permitting the use of speed cameras throughout New York will expire this year unless the state legislature reauthorizes it before June.
Read More: https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/
