Traffic Deaths Reach All-time Low: New York Ends Year With Fewest Fatalities Ever Recorded

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January 2, 2026  
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Traffic Deaths Reach All-time Low: New York Ends Year With Fewest Fatalities Ever Recorded

Sharpest Declines in Outer Boroughs, Fatalities Down Across Travel Modes

Traffic Deaths are Down 31 Percent Since Vision Zero Launched in 2014

NEW YORK - The New York City Department of Transportation announced today that New York City ended 2025 with the fewest traffic deaths ever recorded, dating back to when record-keeping began in 1910. There were 205 recorded traffic deaths in 2025, a 19 percent decline from 253 fatalities last year, and one fewer than the previous safest year on record in 2018, when 206 people were killed in traffic crashes. Overall, traffic deaths are down 31 percent since the launch of Vision Zero in 2014.

The historic decline reflects continued progress under Vision Zero, including large-scale street safety redesigns; additional space for pedestrians, cyclists, and buses; and expanded traffic enforcement initiatives, including heightened crackdowns on ghost vehicles and dangerous driving behaviors over the past year.

"No New Yorker should lose their life while walking, driving, or biking in our city," said Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson. "Vision Zero has shown that the choices we make-how we design our streets and how we enforce traffic laws-save lives. Last year was the safest year on record, with the fewest traffic deaths since records began in 1910. But one life lost is one too many. That's why the Mamdani administration will double down on street redesigns, protected bike lanes, and protected bus lanes that make our streets safer and better for everyone."

NYC DOT cited the following highlights:

• Through December 31, 2025, the overall number of traffic fatalities is at 205, a 19 percent decline from the 253 fatalities recorded in 2024.
• Outer boroughs experienced the sharpest declines in traffic deaths, with the Bronx and Queens seeing the greatest safety improvements:
• • The Bronx experienced a 39 percent decline in traffic deaths, down from 54 fatalities in 2024 to 33 fatalities in 2025;
  • Queens experienced a 23 percent decline in traffic deaths, down from 74 in 2024 to 57 in 2025;
  • Manhattan experienced an 11 percent decline in traffic deaths, down from 44 in 2024 to 39 in 2025;
  • Brooklyn experienced a 9 percent decline in traffic deaths, down from 69 in 2024 to 63 in 2025;
  • And Staten Island remained roughly flat, from 12 fatalities in 2024 to 13 in 2025.
• Every major travel mode experienced a decline in traffic deaths in 2025, including among pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicle occupants
• Leading the decline was the sharp drop in deaths among drivers and occupants of motor vehicles by 40 percent, and motorcycle users, by 32 percent.
• Pedestrian fatalities remain at among the lowest levels ever and have also declined 9 percent, from 122 pedestrian deaths in 2024 to 111 in 2025.
• In addition to fatalities, total traffic injuries and serious traffic injuries trended down in 2025. While injury data is still being processed for the full year, as of December 15, total injuries are down 7.7 percent, from 51,540 in 2024, to 47,557 in 2025. Serious injuries are down 2.8 percent from 3,031 in 2024 to 2,947 in 2025.
• Child fatalities are near record lows, with 6 such fatalities recorded in 2025, down 63 percent from 16 recorded 2024.

NYC DOT has cited a variety of Vision Zero initiatives that have been among the keys to the progress in reducing fatalities in 2025. Those efforts include the dramatic expansion of protected bike lanes and newly pedestrianized space-with more than 100 miles of protected bike lanes built and nearly 2 million square feet of pedestrian space installed since the implementation of the city's NYC Streets Plan. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 18.1 percent.

The agency also believes efforts to expand automated enforcement, alongside targeted police enforcement, have helped spur substantial declines in fatalities of motor vehicle occupants and motorized two-wheeled devices, particularly over the past four years following the COVID-19 pandemic. With this expanded enforcement, fatalities involving the city's most reckless drivers-including those who are not properly licensed, involved in hit-and-runs, or had three or more prior convictions-dropped considerably. Those initiatives include:

Speed Cameras - Speed cameras have been shown to reduce deadly speeding by over 90 percent, and locations where speed cameras had been recently installed saw 14 percent fewer injuries and fatalities than control locations without cameras. In 2022, NYC DOT successfully advocated for the cameras to go to 24/7 operation, leading to a dramatic decline in deadly overnight and weekend crashes.

'Ghost Car' Crackdown - During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of vehicles using unauthorized and fake temporary tags expanded substantially, with crash statistics showing that such vehicles were far more likely to be involved in deadly collisions. Through a regional law enforcement interagency task force, NYPD and sister agencies have together seized more than 100,000 illegal motorized vehicles and ghost cars since 2022.

Aggressive NYPD enforcement on High Crash Priority Corridors - By focusing on the ground high visibility enforcement on the highest-crash corridors, NYPD has been able to help achieve significant reductions in injuries and fatalities.

In the two boroughs with the highest percentage fatality declines, NYC DOT focused on major street improvement projects in communities that had not received prior street redesigns - including new plazas as well as new dedicated bus and bike lanes - treatments shown to reduce traffic crashes, making streets safer for all users:

Bronx and Queens Bus Lanes - NYC DOT invested heavily in improving bus service in the Bronx and Queens with numerous bus lane and pedestrian safety projects that have also been shown to significantly improve street safety. Over the last three years, Bronx projects include University Avenue, Gun Hill Road, E. L. Grant Highway, Pelham Parkway capital project, Westchester Avenue near Pelham Bay Park, and along the Washington Bridge to Northern Manhattan. In Queens, the agency completed major bus lane projects over the years, including busways on Main Street, Jamaica, and Archer avenues, Main Street, and bus lanes on 21st Street, Northern Boulevard, and Queens Boulevard.

Bronx and Queens Bicycle Network - With cycling surging citywide, NYC DOT has made unprecedented investments to support cycling and micro-mobility around the city, including in the Bronx and Queens.

In addition to the creation of e-scooter sharing service in the East Bronx, the agency has built a connected network of bike lanes in areas of the Bronx lacking such infrastructure. This includes four miles of protected bike lanes along major streets like Bronxdale Avenue, Hunts Point Avenue, Rosedale Avenue, and Soundview Avenue. In 2025, NYC DOT began building out the Bronx Harlem River Greenway, improving safety for everyone along the riverfront.

Queens has also seen major additions to its bicycle network as well as the first-ever expansion of e-scooter service to Eastern Queens In 2023, DOT installed 2.5 miles of protected bike lanes on 11th Street, Jackson Avenue, and 44th Drive in Long Island City. In 2024, the agency also completed the final phase of the Queens Boulevard redesign, adding protected bike lanes in Sunnyside and Long Island City, helping to reduce injuries and fatalities on what was formerly known as the 'Boulevard of Death.' NYC DOT built on this success this year with the completion of the first phase of the 31st Avenue Bike Boulevard, which added more than 26,000 square feet of new pedestrian space to the street.