In New York, Motor Vehicles Are the Leading Cause of Preventable Child Deaths
Press Release
One-fourth of New York City’s fatal child injuries involved motor vehicles – the leading cause of child-injury deaths both locally and nationally. Although New Yorkers walk more than most Americans, the City’s child pedestrian death rates are comparable to national rates. Eighty-four percent (84%) of the children killed by motor vehicles were pedestrians, and certain groups were more affected than others.
Swimming Safety Tips:
African American children represented 49% of all motor vehicle deaths even though they are only 29% of the City’s child population aged one to12.
Boys accounted for nearly twice as many motor vehicle deaths as girls (64% vs. 34%).
Children ages 10-12 had the highest high motor vehicle death rate of all one to 12 year olds.
Among the five boroughs, child death rates were highest in Brooklyn and Queens and lowest in Manhattan.
Children playing in the street, or darting out from between parked cars were common factors in child pedestrian deaths.
More than a third of child-pedestrian deaths involved light trucks, half of which were SUVs.
Nearly half of all fatal motor vehicle accidents among children occurred during the spring and summer in the evening hours.
Half of child-pedestrian deaths occurred within 700 feet of a school, nearly all during the evenings, weekends, and summer.
Key Pedestrian Safety Tips:
Parents should talk to their kids about safe places to play, and supervise them as appropriate.
Stop, look and listen before crossing any street.
Children ages 10-12 had the highest high motor vehicle death rate of all one to 12 year olds.
Always use the crosswalks.
Play in parks and schoolyards instead of near streets whenever possible.
The report recommendations for expanding the City's child safety efforts include:
Expanding the transportation infrastructure to include more crosswalks and speed bumps, and working to ensure that all kids live within a 10-minute walk of a park or playground.
Creating a traffic safety website and launching a citywide awareness campaign.
Supporting state legislation to mandate cross-over mirrors for large commercial trucks.
Always use the crosswalks.
A complete list of recommendations to support child safety and reduce child motor vehicle deaths is available at - http://www.nyc.gov
