2020 went down in history as the year traffic temporarily disappeared from New York City streets due to lockdown. You would think that this would lead to fewer car accidents while drivers stayed home. But just the opposite happened. With 243 deaths in the city in 2020, it became the deadliest year since Mayor de Blasio introduced his improvements to keep our streets safe in 2014.
According to the New York Times, “people sped recklessly down vacant highways. Riders who had not been on a motorcycle in years — or ever — took to roadways. In big cities, late-night drag racing became more popular as other entertainment vanished.”
If you’ve been in a car accident, before you make any decisions, it is important to speak with a Brooklyn accident lawyer.
Brooklyn is One of the Most Accident-Prone Cities
New York City consistently shows up on the list of the 25 most accident-prone cities in the nation. As experienced New York City personal injury lawyers, we have seen our fair share of car accident consequences, injuring drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
According to the New York City Police Department, the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in New York City’s five boroughs are:
● Distracted driving — New York laws have made it illegal to use any handheld electronic devices while driving. This includes texting, talking, holding, or even looking at a device. And yet, distracted driving is still consistently one of the most common causes of car collisions in New York City. Distracted driving is the top cause of rear-end car accidents in New York.
● Impaired driving — Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is another common cause of motor vehicle accidents, both in New York City and across the nation. The NHTSA suggests that someone is killed every 50 minutes by a drunk driver. Although it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher, any level of alcohol in the system can impair a person’s ability to drive safely. Impaired driving is also driving under the influence of illicit drugs as well as prescription drugs.
● Failure to yield to pedestrians — Here in New York City, we are a very pedestrian-centric city. Pedestrians who are hit by motor vehicles in New York City suffer from catastrophic injuries and, often, death. This is due to their lack of protection and the sheer force, weight, and speed of the vehicle. The New York Department of Health has estimated that out of every 100,000 citizens, 1.6 will be killed in a traffic-related accident as a pedestrian.
● Speeding — Driving at unsafe speeds reduces the time that a driver has to react to avoid an accident and come to a safe stop. Speeding in New York City has been out of control during COVID, with speeding cameras catching over 83,000 violations in one week alone in March during the lockdown.
● Disregarding red lights and stop signs — We see every day that drivers will speed through a yellow light, hoping to avoid stopping on the red. Some ignore lights and signs altogether. Running lights and signs cause a significant number of right-angle car collisions and catastrophic injuries due to side impacts where a car has little to absorb the force of impact.
● Unsafe lane changes and passing — Unsafe lane changes and improper passing were a large factor in fatal crashes in recent New York City motor vehicle accident statistics. They were also the largest single contributor to motorcycle-related accidents.
Understanding Your Rights After a Car Accident in New York City
If you have suffered a traffic-related injury in New York City due to the negligence of another driver, you owe it to yourself to speak with an experienced New York car accident lawyer to understand your legal rights. At the Law Offices of Denis Davydov, we offer a free consultation to discuss your accident and determine if you have a potential claim against that driver. Contact us today.
