New York City Car Accident Statistics [2025]

In 2025, New York City recorded 205 traffic deaths. That is the lowest annual total since the city began keeping records in 1910. The figure is down 19% from 253 deaths in 2024, and 31% below where things stood when Vision Zero launched in 2014. Yet the same year saw more than 30,000 crashes in its first five months alone, injuring roughly 13,000 people. The New York City car accident statistics tell two stories at once. There is real, measurable progress on fatalities. And there is a daily toll of collisions and injuries that has barely moved.

This post pulls together the most current official data on crashes, injuries, deaths, leading causes, dangerous roads, and how the numbers break down across the five boroughs. The sources are the agencies that track this data directly: the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the NYPD, and NYC Open Data. Were you or a family member recently in a crash? These numbers give context to what happened and why these cases are so common in New York.

How Many Car Accidents Happen in NYC Each Year?

New York City sees roughly 96,000 motor vehicle crashes per year. Those crashes cause about 57,000 injuries and, in 2025, 205 deaths, the lowest toll in recorded city history. Brooklyn and Queens consistently account for the most collisions of any borough. Driver distraction remains the single leading cause, cited in more than 11,000 crashes a year.

That annual crash count is roughly half of what it was before the pandemic. In 2019, the NYPD recorded 211,455 collisions citywide. The 2020 lockdown cut traffic volumes sharply and drove crash counts down to around 88,000. They have hovered near 96,000 to 100,000 in the years since, according to NYPD collision data published through NYC Open Data.

The surprising part is that fewer crashes did not immediately mean fewer deaths. As the next section shows, the early pandemic years actually saw fatalities rise even as total collisions dropped.

New York City Car Accident Statistics: 2019–2025 Trends

The clearest way to read New York City car accident statistics is year over year. The table below pulls total crashes, injuries, and deaths from NYPD collision data and NYC Open Data. The 2025 fatality figure is confirmed by the NYC DOT's official year-end release.

Sources: NYPD collision data and NYC Open Data; the 2025 fatality figure is from the NYC DOT year-end release. Full-year 2025 crash and injury totals are estimated from partial-year data; the 205 fatality figure is the confirmed official number.

Three patterns stand out. First, the 2020 plunge in total crashes did not save lives. Deaths rose from roughly 220 in 2019 to 243 in 2020, then climbed to 254 in 2021. Emptier streets meant higher speeds, and higher speeds made each crash more likely to be fatal. Second, injuries stayed stubbornly high. Even as crash counts fell well below pre-pandemic levels, the number of people hurt each year barely changed. A larger share of crashes now result in injury than before 2020. Third, 2025 marks the first real fatality decline since the plateau years of 2021 through 2024, when deaths sat in the low 250s with no real movement.

What Causes Most Car Accidents in NYC?

Driver inattention and distraction is the leading cause of car accidents in New York City by a wide margin. It was named as a contributing factor in more than 11,000 crashes in recent NYPD data. Failure to yield the right of way and following too closely rank next. Unsafe speed shows up in far fewer crash reports, yet it drives a large share of serious injuries and deaths.

Here is how the leading contributing factors stack up in recent NYPD traffic data:

• Driver inattention or distraction: roughly 11,500 crashes
• Failure to yield right of way: approximately 3,400 crashes
• Following too closely: approximately 3,200 crashes
• Unsafe speed: roughly 750 crashes

The contributing-factor counts come from the NYPD's monthly traffic data reports. Distraction has grown as in-car touchscreens, navigation apps, and phones compete for drivers' attention. It shows up most often in dense, stop-and-go corridors.

Speed deserves a closer look because the raw numbers are misleading. "Unsafe speed" is rarely written down as the official cause of a crash. It appears in only a few hundred reports a year. But speed is what turns a survivable collision into a fatal one. A pedestrian struck at 20 mph usually lives. Struck at 40 mph, the odds of survival fall sharply. So while distraction causes more crashes, speed is a main reason the crashes that do happen turn deadly. That is why the city's safety strategy has leaned so heavily on speed cameras.

Who Is Most at Risk in NYC Traffic Crashes?

Pedestrians account for the majority of New York City traffic deaths. Of the 205 fatalities in 2025, 111, about 54%, were pedestrians, according to the NYC DOT. Even with overall deaths at a record low, people on foot remain the most vulnerable users of the city's streets.

The 2025 breakdown showed improvement across every victim category:

• Pedestrian deaths: 111, down 9% from 122 in 2024
• Cyclist deaths (including e-bikes): 21, with e-bike deaths falling from 9 in 2024 to 6 in 2025
• Child fatalities: 6, down 63% from 16 in 2024

The child-fatality decline is the steepest of any group. The DOT has tied it in part to street redesigns and slower speeds near schools and residential corridors. Still, the pedestrian share of deaths shows a hard reality. In a city where most people walk somewhere every day, a car-versus-pedestrian crash is both common and, far too often, catastrophic.

For anyone hit while walking or biking, these figures aren't abstract. They reflect how often, and how severely, these crashes happen here. We've represented New Yorkers on the worst side of those statistics. One was an 83-year-old pedestrian struck and left with multiple fractures, a case that resolved for $1,200,000. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Which NYC Borough Has the Most Car Accidents?

Brooklyn and Queens record the most collisions of any boroughs, while Queens has historically carried the highest traffic-death total. In 2025, Brooklyn led in fatalities with 63 deaths, followed closely by Queens with 57. Queens saw the larger year-over-year improvement, down 23% from 74 deaths in 2024.

Here is the 2025 fatality breakdown by borough, per the NYC DOT:

The Bronx posted the largest decline of any borough, a 39% drop. For collision volume specifically, recent year-to-date data again puts Brooklyn and Queens at the top. Brooklyn logged roughly 9,775 collisions and 4,015 injuries over the first five months of the year. Queens logged about 8,554 collisions and 3,472 injuries in the same window.

Queens Car Accident Statistics

Queens held the city's highest fatality total as recently as 2024, with 74 deaths. Two corridors drive much of that danger. Queens Boulevard earned the grim nickname "the Boulevard of Death" for the number of pedestrians killed along it over the years. Despite redesign efforts, it remains a focal point for safety advocates. Northern Boulevard is the other danger spot. The intersection of Northern Boulevard and 48th Street has been flagged among the most dangerous in the entire city, with nine people killed or seriously injured there since January 2022.

These statistics matter to our readers more than most. The Orlow Firm's main office sits in Queens, and many of the people we represent were hurt on exactly these streets.

Most Dangerous Roads in New York City

The Belt Parkway is consistently New York City's highest-crash-volume road. In 2023, the most recent year with complete road-level data, it recorded 1,338 crashes and eight fatalities. That is the product of high-speed highway design squeezed into a dense urban setting. Several other corridors show up year after year as crash hotspots.

Using NYPD open data compiled by CrashMapper, the worst roads by crash volume include:

• Belt Parkway (Brooklyn/Queens): 1,338 crashes, eight fatalities, the city's highest-volume road
• Long Island Expressway / I-495 (Queens): 835 crashes
• Broadway (Manhattan): 838 crashes
• Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn/Queens): 713 crashes, with the Logan Street and Woodhaven Boulevard intersections among the worst
• Major Deegan Expressway (Bronx): 525 crashes
• Queens Boulevard: an ongoing danger despite redesign work, with its "Boulevard of Death" reputation still attached

These figures reflect 2023 data, the most recent complete road-level counts available. The common thread is design. These are wide, fast roadways that work like highways but run through neighborhoods full of pedestrians, cyclists, and cross traffic.

Is NYC Getting Safer? The Vision Zero Progress Report

NYC launched Vision Zero in 2014 with a stated goal of ending traffic deaths entirely. After a long plateau, 2025 produced the strongest results in the program's history. The 205 deaths edged below the prior record of 206 set in 2018, making it the safest year in the city's recorded history.

The city credits a mix of enforcement and street design:

• Approximately 2,200 speed cameras now operate across all five boroughs, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round
• Speeding has dropped 94% at speed-camera locations over the past decade, according to the NYC DOT
• Overnight and weekend injuries fell nearly 8% after the cameras shifted to 24/7 operation
• More than 100 miles of protected bike lanes have been built under the NYC Streets Plan
• Nearly two million square feet of new pedestrian space has been added citywide
• Eight of the ten safest years in NYC history have happened during the Vision Zero era

The honest framing matters here. Advocacy groups including Transportation Alternatives have pointed out that 205 deaths is still 205 too many against a goal of zero. They've called for continued investment, especially in lower-income neighborhoods, where recent redesigns produced some of the largest declines. Progress is real, but it is not the finish line.

What Should You Do After a Car Accident in New York City?

The steps you take right after a crash protect both your health and any legal claim you may have. The most important ones, in order:

1. Call 911 if anyone is injured. Reporting an injury crash is required by law.
2. Document the scene thoroughly. Take photos and video of the vehicles, the roadway, traffic signals, and visible injuries. Get the other driver's information and the names of any witnesses.
3. Seek medical attention right away, even if you feel fine. Whiplash and traumatic brain injury symptoms are often delayed, and a prompt medical record protects both your recovery and your claim.
4. File an accident report (Form MV-104) with the New York DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeds $1,000.
5. File a No-Fault (PIP) insurance claim within 30 days. New York's no-fault system covers up to $50,000 in medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, per the New York Department of Financial Services.
6. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer without legal advice.
7. Keep every record. Save medical bills, treatment notes, and a log of how your injuries affect daily life.

A few legal deadlines are worth committing to memory. The no-fault claim notice is due within 30 days of the accident. A personal injury lawsuit for a serious injury generally must be filed within three years of the crash date. A wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the date of death. These timeframes are general rules. Specific situations, particularly claims against a government entity, can carry much shorter deadlines.

Most Common Injuries in New York City Car Accidents

The injuries that follow a New York City car accident range from soft-tissue strains to life-altering trauma. The most common include:

• Whiplash, the signature injury of rear-end collisions, which are especially frequent in congested stop-and-go traffic
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion, often with delayed symptoms
• Spinal cord and neck injuries
• Broken bones and fractures
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Soft-tissue injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments

The recurring theme is delay. Many serious injuries, TBI and internal trauma in particular, don't announce themselves at the scene. Adrenaline masks pain, and symptoms can surface hours or days later. That is why immediate medical attention is so important. It catches injuries early and creates the medical record that supports a claim. We've handled the severe end of this spectrum. One client was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer and needed arthroscopic surgery on both shoulders, a case that resolved for $675,000. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Related Questions

What is the most dangerous road in NYC?

By crash volume, the Belt Parkway running through Brooklyn and Queens is consistently the most dangerous road in New York City, with 1,338 crashes and eight fatalities in 2023. Its highway-grade speeds in a dense urban environment make it an outlier among city roads.

How many pedestrians are killed by cars in New York City each year?

Pedestrians made up 111 of the 205 traffic deaths in 2025, roughly 54% of all fatalities, down from 122 the prior year. Pedestrians remain the single largest group of traffic-death victims in New York City despite the overall decline in car accident fatalities.

Does New York have no-fault car insurance?

Yes. New York is a no-fault state. Your own insurance covers up to $50,000 in medical bills and lost wages through Personal Injury Protection (PIP), regardless of who caused the crash. You must file the no-fault claim within 30 days. If your injuries meet New York's "serious injury" threshold, you can also sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering.

Sources & Official Resources

Statistics Sources

1. NYC DOT — 2025 Traffic Deaths Reach All-Time Low (Press Release)
2. NYPD Traffic Data — Motor Vehicle Collision Reports
3. NYC Open Data — Motor Vehicle Collisions: Crashes
4. NYC DOT — Speed Camera Program: 94% Speeding Reduction

New York Laws Cited 5. CPLR § 214 — Three-Year Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury 6. EPTL § 5-4.1 — Two-Year Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death 7. NY Insurance Law § 5102 — Serious Injury Definition

Helpful Resources 8. NY DFS — No-Fault Insurance Consumer FAQs 9. NY DMV — File a Motorist Crash Report (MV-104)

Contact The Orlow Firm

Were you or a family member injured in a car accident anywhere in New York City, whether in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island? The statistics above make one thing clear: these crashes happen every day, and the injuries are often serious. The Orlow Firm has represented car accident victims in Queens and throughout New York City since 1982, recovering millions of dollars for injured New Yorkers.

Call (646) 647-3398 for a free consultation. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win.

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