A quick snapshot of the 2015 New York State Highway Safety Strategic Plan (HSSP), the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s data-driven system for tracking motor vehicle fatalities in The New York State, shows that there have been fewer fatalities involving motor vehicles in the State each year over the period from 2008 to 2015.
The core measures tracked in the overall safety program are fatalaties and serious injuries. Based on the most recent data provided by HSSP, only slight progress was made toward reducing fatalities. In 2012, for example, fatalities in motor in motor vehicle crashes in New York State declined to 1,168 compared to 1,171 in 2011. Based on this trend, a target to decrease fatalities by 3% from 2010-2012, on average from 1,180 to 1,145, was set for 2015.
But based on the most recent data, progress was not made in the core measure of serious injuries. Based on the State’s data, following a decrease in the number of persons who were seriously injured in a motor vehicle between 2010 and 2011, the number actually increased in 2012. As a result, a slightly lower target was set for serious accidents involving motor vehicles for 2015. Updated targets for 2015 were set based on the trends in the data through 2011.
According to the HSSP, the overall goals of New York’s highway safety program are to prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives and reduce the severity of the injuries suffered.
The following charts illustrate the trends in fatalities involving motor vehicles in New York State for 2008 through 2012; and based on this empirical data compiled by State motor vehicle accident statisticians, specific targets were set for 2015. Since all of the data for 2015 has not as yet been analyzed, it is not as yet clear if the State had been able to hit the targets it set for last year.
The data being monitored involved the following major causes of serious accident and death due to motor vehicle accidents in New York State. Categories include: Fatalities; alcohol-impaired driving fatalities; speeding-related fatalities; motorcycle fatalities (including non-helmeted motorcyclist fatalities); pedestrian fatalities involving motor vehicles; bicyclist fatalities involving motor vehicles; and unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities (non use of seat belts).
The following graph and charts, provided by HSSP, illustrate the trends in motor vehicle related fatalities and serious injuries from 2008 to 2012 with the final column on the right indicating targets for reducing these incidences of death and serious injury in 2015. Data for 2015 is not yet available from HSSP. Information for 2015 will be posted on the DMR Lawyers blog when it is available.
If you think you have been the victim of motor vehicle driver negligence, you should contact one of our Midtown Manhattan lawyers at Dankner Milstein for a free consultation at 212-751-8000 or office@dmesq.com.
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