Comptroller: Traffic deaths increasing statewide

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — On Friday, the New York State Comptroller’s Office released a report on statewide traffic deaths titled “Moving in the Wrong Direction.” It describes the increasing danger on New York’s roads, with fatalities spiking since 2019.

In the years before COVID, people who died in a car-related crash or accident gradually declined. And during COVID, staying home to flatten the curve kept drivers off the streets. According to the report, empty roads and less traffic in 2020 gave drivers a false sense of security, ultimately leading to riskier driving techniques or choices today—or in 2022.

In 2022, the most recent year covered by the report, New York’s 1,175 traffic fatalities represented a 10-year high. Meanwhile, total statewide crashes shrank by 12.5% from 2019 to 2022. The total miles traveled by car also dropped by 7%. Coupled with fewer licensed drivers—reduced by 1%—the apparent spike reported by the Comptroller seems even more dramatic.

Plus, the rate of such deaths, adjusted for population size and total miles traveled by car, far outpaced the national average—a nearly 17% overall national increase from 2019 to 2022, but nearly 26% in New York. In total, motor vehicle deaths declined nationally in 2022 while growing in the Empire State.

We’re also dwarfing the national average for pedestrian deaths, as they make up about a quarter of all crash deaths in 2022. That’s more than 8% above the U.S. figure. And most deaths are linked to speeding, drinking or drugs, not wearing a seatbelt, or a combination.

According to the New York Safe Streets Coalition, “On average, crashes kill three New Yorkers daily and seriously injure hundreds more with life-long consequences. In New York State, traffic fatalities increased 20% during the initial years of the pandemic and continue to be above pre-pandemic levels.” The advocacy group also said that “traffic violence” costs the state $15 billion a year.

The Coalition wants the legislature to take up the Safe Streets Package, a collection of bills aimed at reducing deaths caused by traffic. They include:

• S9718 / A1280A (Complete Streets Maintenance): Designing streets to maintain safe access to public roads
• S1724 / A4346 (Defined Safe Passing): Requires drivers to keep three feet from pedestrians, bikes, or wheelchairs
• S2643 / A3986 (Stop as Yield): Lets bikes treat stop lights as stop signs, and treat stop signs as yields
• S7621 / A7979 (Speed Limiters for Repeat Offenders): Installs speed limiters on cars driven by people with a high number of tickets or points on their licenses

The group also backed Sammy’s Law , newly signed into law and affecting New York City. With its passage, city officials get more discretion to lower speed limits. The report from the Comptroller also highlighted the bill, saying it could be expanded to other local governments pursuing safer roads.

Of all the regions in New York, the city has the lowest share of car owners and the highest share of public transportation riders. That’s why the city had the lowest fatality rate; Long Island had the highest.

The report specified that California, Texas, Florida, and six other states had more traffic deaths. It also drew attention to Utah, where a 2017 law lowered the blood alcohol threshold for impaired driving. It’s the lone state with a .05 limit, whereas New York and the rest of the country have a .08 limit. In its first year under that law, fatal crashes dropped by one-fifth in Utah.

State Sen. Rob Rolison, who represents New York’s 39th Senate District, wants Gov. Kathy Hochul to convene a special session of the legislature. On Friday morning, in response to the release of the Comptroller report, Rolison drew attention to S7717A . It would let law enforcement seize vehicles belonging to someone convicted of a new felony charge—aggravated reckless driving.

“If our roads aren’t safe, New Yorkers can’t feel secure about traveling around our region and state,” read a written statement from Rolison. “It’s up to the state legislature to do something about it before more lives are lost to reckless driving and individuals who willfully ignore our laws. This is a bipartisan opportunity that I would encourage the governor to take. Call on the state legislature to return immediately and address traffic fatalities in a timely and effective way.”

As it currently stands, the New York State Senate doesn’t return until January.

Take a look at the report below:

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