Aggressive Drivers Cause Most Pedestrian Deaths

Group Studied 1,000 NYC Fatalities Caused by Cars


Driver aggressiveness and carelessness cause up to 9 of every 10 pedestrian deaths in New York City, according to a new report by Right of Way, the pedestrian rights group. The 64-page report, KILLED BY AUTOMOBILE, studied one thousand pedestrian fatalities in the city in the past four years, and found that:

  • Drivers are at fault in almost 90% of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths.
  • Automobiles kill more than twice as many elderly New Yorkers than murderers do.
  • Aggressive turning through crosswalks is the single biggest known cause of pedestrian deaths. Drunken driving (New York Mayor Giuliani’s latest target) ranks 12th.
  • In over 90% of pedestrian fatalities, the driver is male.
  • Dangerous driving does not discriminate: members of all the broad ethnic categories in NYC are equally likely to be killed by cars.

Right Of Way researched the police reports for 1,000 fatal accidents, obtained through the state’s freedom of information law, covering 1994-1997 (the most recent 4 years available). The result is the first serious investigation of how cars kill pedestrians and cyclists in New York. Among other findings:

  • Cars kill 250 pedestrians a year in New York City, including a dozen on sidewalks.
  • Buses kill three times as many pedestrians as heavy trucks, per mile driven.
  • During 1994-1997, automobiles killed 362 New Yorkers age 65 and over (90 per year), compared with 168 killed in homicides (42 per year).
  • The most frequent cause is a turning vehicle in a crosswalk striking a pedestrian. Speeding, and driving through a red light or stop sign, are the next most frequent causes.
  • Drunken driving was found to be present in fewer than 4% of pedestrian fatalities.

"The crux of pedestrian safety is making drivers respect pedestrian rights," said report author Charles Komanoff. "Most pedestrian fatalities are caused by drivers’ failure to observe traffic laws, particularly the laws protecting pedestrians," he said.

KILLED BY AUTOMOBILE is released amid claims by city agencies that pedestrian deaths fell sharply in 1998, and during a "crackdown" on drunken driving. However, city officials continue to ignore the larger problem of aggressive, violent or otherwise irresponsible driving, which causes most pedestrian and cyclist deaths.

"The purported decline in fatalities in 1998 won’t be sustained unless government reduces the speed, size, and numbers of vehicles on our streets, and upholds the rights of citizens to walk and bike safely," said report editor Michael Smith.

Right of Way is a New York City grassroots organization asserting the right of pedestrians and cyclists to travel without endangerment by motor vehicles.

Report author Charles Komanoff is an economist and statistician. As a consultant to the State of New York and other governmental agencies, he documented skyrocketing costs in the nuclear power industry and helped protect consumers against utility bill increases.

For a copy of KILLED BY AUTOMOBILE, send $5.00 plus $2.50 for postage and handling to:

Right Of Way
305 Broadway, room #402
New York, NY 10007

Checks should be made payable to Right Of Way.

The report is also available on this Web site.

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