Launched in 2014, New York City’s Vision Zero program helped reduce traffic deaths, according to officials, who attribute the decreases to a combination of “engineering, education, and enforcement.” Regardless, accidents still happen – so we thought it would be helpful for drivers to get a sense of current statistics.
Car Accident Statistics by NYC Borough
NYC accident statistics show the rate of collisions varies dramatically by borough.
- Brooklyn accounted for 33% of collisions citywide (with 32,788 accidents) in 2022, the highest percentage in any borough. Gridlock traffic, poor driving habits and poorly designed roads have been blamed. Flatbush Ave. & Coney Island is considered a particularly high-risk intersection.
- Staten Island, the safest borough, had 5,272 collisions (5% of NYC accidents).
- Queens had 27,943 accidents (28%), the Bronx had 17,678 (18%), and Manhattan had 16,827 (17%) in 2022.
Holiday Car Accident Statistics in NYC
Holidays change traffic patterns in NYC, increasing accident risk. Experts blame the increased number of travelers, impaired driving, distracted driving and fatigue.
- Labor Day sees the most car accidents in NYC, with 19 fatal accidents on Labor Day weekend since 2017.
- Fourth of July and Christmas have the least fatal accidents. Since 2017, there have been only 9 fatal accidents on each of these occasions.
Main Causes of Car Accidents In NYC
NYC car accident statistics reveal some troubling trends. The following stats show many crashes occur due to dangerous decisions made by drivers.
- The main cause of NYC car accidents in 2022 was distracted driving, with a total of 28,753 collisions, resulting from inattention or driver distraction. New York has strict laws against distracted driving, but it continues to be a persistent cause of crashes.
- 1,994 NYC car accidents involved alcohol and/or drugs in 2022.
- In 2022, a total of 3,940 motor vehicle accidents citywide resulted from speeding motorists, despite the citywide speed limit being 25 mph (unless signage indicates otherwise).
Fatal Accident Statistics in NYC
Motor vehicle accidents remain a leading cause of death for NYC residents.
- 38% of accidents on NYC streets result in injury or death.
- In 2022, there were 100,508 car accidents, 37,848 of which involved an injury or fatality. Fatalities are more likely to occur at higher speeds, or when a motorcyclist, pedestrian or bicyclist is involved.
- The highest number of fatal accidents occurred in Brooklyn; 12,812 collisions caused an injury or fatality there.
- Staten Island had the fewest serious or fatal accidents, with just 1,853.
- In Queens, 10,507 accidents caused an injury or fatality; in the Bronx, 6,660 injuries or deaths occurred in crashes; and Manhattan saw 6,016 collisions resulting in injury or death.
Taxi Accident Statistics in NYC
Yellow taxis provide 109,231 trips daily, as compared to 658,499 trips arranged via ride-hailing apps.
- In 2022, 4% of all NYC vehicle accidents involved a taxi – a total of 3,859.
- Yellow taxis average about 11 accidents per day, a notably low percentage out of more than 100,000 daily trips.
Source: Forbes Advisor
