New York City sees highest traffic fatalities in the first half of this year in a decade.

According to the data compiled by the transportation advocacy group “Transportation Alternatives,” 61 pedestrians lost their lives in traffic accidents in New York City from January to June this year, an increase of 27% compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest number of deaths in the first half of the year since the implementation of the Vision Zero initiative in 2014.

In the first half of 2024, a total of 127 deaths occurred in traffic accidents, including 61 pedestrians, 51 occupants of cars or motorcycles, and 12 cyclists, according to the latest analysis by Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. This sets a record high for the number of deaths in the first half of the year since the implementation of the Vision Zero initiative, representing a 46% increase from the historical low point in 2018.

The number of cyclist fatalities during this period exceeds the average death toll during the Vision Zero era by 20%, while the 61 pedestrian fatalities represent a 27% increase from 2023.

The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has stated that at least 7 of the fatal pedestrian accidents in the first half of this year were related to speeding. Over the past three years, an annual average of 10 pedestrian fatalities has been linked to speeding.

The number of pedestrians injured has also seen a nearly 5% increase compared to the same period last year.

Goudy Fonfrias, a member of Families for Safe Streets, expressed that the number of people killed in crashes this year surpasses the figures of the past decade. He emphasized, “These are not just statistics—each individual is someone with a family, friends, and a community, just like my mother.”

According to data from the New York City Police Department, the number of pedestrians injured has also seen an approximately 5% increase compared to the same period last year.