Traffic-related deaths have plummeted in the Big Apple during the first quarter of the year, new city data released Wednesday shows.
The number of vehicular fatalities dropped citywide despite the recent shocking case of an alleged speed demon who mowed down and killed a 32-year-old mom and her two daughters in Brooklyn on March 29.
There were 41 traffic deaths during the first three months of 2025 — 24 fewer than the 65 deaths reported last year — and the lowest number since 2018, when there were 40 fatalities — the city Department of Transportation said.
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It’s the second lowest number of deaths in a first quarter since 1990, when there were also 40 fatalities, the DOT said.
The agency tracks traffic deaths involving pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and occupants of motor vehicles — all of which saw declines from January through March.
The DOT attributed the drop to beefed-up “Vision Zero” initiatives started under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and continued under current Mayor Eric Adams. After taking office, Adams dedicated $900 million in capital and operating funding over five years to address traffic safety, officials said.
“In order to make New York City the best place to raise a family, we need to be safer at every level — including on our streets,” Adams said.
“Our administration’s investments in intersection safety improvements, treating traffic violence as the serious crime that it is, and our expanding automated camera enforcement are all helping ensure we’re leading the way toward a safer future for all New Yorkers — whether they are pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists.”
But Hizzoner also acknowledged the horrific Ocean Parkway crash in which 35-year-old wigmaker Miriam Yarimi has been charged with manslaughter for the deaths of 32-year-old Natasha Saada and her two daughters, 8-year-old Diana and 5-year-old Debra. A third sibling, 4-year-old Philip, remains in critical condition at an area hospital.
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“There is more work to do, as evidenced by this past weekend’s tragic crash in Brooklyn, because one life lost to traffic violence is one life too many, but our administration remains committed to reducing traffic violence as much as any other form of violence,” Adams said.
Still, the city is seeing the return of the early successes of Vision Zero after a spike in traffic deaths during the pandemic years, the DOT said.
During the first quarter of 2013, the year before the traffic safety program launched, there were nearly 70% more traffic fatalities – 70 across the city.
In 1990, there were 166 traffic fatalities in the first quarter of the year.
There were 57 fatalities in 2022 and 53 in 2023 — up from 42 in 2021 and 43 in 2020.
Traffic injuries also declined during the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year — from 9,599 through March 12, 2024 to 7,936 traffic injuries through the same time period this year.
There were drops in injuries across the board among pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicle drivers and occupants, DOT said.
“Every New Yorker deserves safe streets, and thanks to historic investments in better street designs, expanded educational efforts, and focused traffic enforcement, our streets are safer than ever,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.
“Thoughtful street design isn’t just about movement; it’s about making sure everyone gets home safely. That is what inspires NYC DOT’s work each and every day, because one traffic death is one too many.”
The improvements include the creation of 1.5 million square feet of new pedestrian space over three years — including 350,000 square feet of space last year — separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic.
In addition, transportation officials say they upgraded safety improvements at a record 5,765 intersection improvements over the past three years, including upgrades at 2,688 intersections last year.
Meanwhile, the city added 87.5 miles of new bike lanes and upgraded 20 miles of bike lanes with safety structures to separate the lanes from vehicular traffic.
Expansion of speed cameras and red light cameras — backed by fines — helped reduce speeding, DOT officials said.
The Adams administration persuaded the state Legislature to expand the speed camera program to operate 24/7, which has helped reduce speeding and traffic deaths during the overnight hours, officials said.
But the speed program will expire at year’s end unless Albany renews the program.
Likewise, the expansion of red light cameras from 150 to 600 intersections this year — a quadrupling of the program — has had a measurable impact on improving traffic safety while cutting deaths, the DOT reported.
