Transportation
Traffic Fatalities Are on the Rise in New York. Is Distracted Driving to Blame?
City officials think so, and they've launched a low-tech campaign to get people to pay attention.
New numbers show traffic fatalities in New York City are on the rise. From July 2011 to June 2012, 291 people died in traffic accidents – a jump from the previous year's total of 236. It's the first time the number has seen a year-over-year increase since 2007, when 310 deaths occurred.
176 cyclists and pedestrians were killed, compared with 158 the previous year, according to the Mayor's Management Report. It's not clear what caused the rise in deaths, but Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has an idea.