Traffic accidents are a fact of life, and they happen daily in virtually every county in our state.
As personal injury lawyers for White Plains, NYC, and beyond, we have seen so many stories of people whose lives were rocked by an unexpected accident — often the result of truly preventable negligence.
While none of us can completely protect ourselves against the odds of being in an auto accident, simply being aware of the dangers can help us all remain safer on the roads.
To that end, we’re sharing a few of the most recent car injury statistics in NY. Specifically, we’re taking a look at how often people end up with a serious injury after a New York traffic accident. The numbers are enough to give any driver pause.
Car Accident Injury Statistics in NY: Number of Fatalities and Serious Injuries
The table below charts the number of car accident injuries and deaths in New York State during each of the last three years.
| 2017 | 2018 (Preliminary) | Early 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| People Killed | 1,000 | 915 | 196 |
| People Seriously Injured | 11,148 | 10,966 | 2,178 |
| People Moderately Injured | 18,305 | 17,767 | 3,084 |
| People with Minor Injuries | 133,655 | 133,419 | 23,849 |
| Unknown Injuries | 6,644 | 5,669 | 715 |
| TOTAL INJURIES OR FATALITIES | 170,752 | 168,736 | 30,022 |
| Total Number of Crashes That Year (Regardless of Injury) | 309,371 | 433,604 | 94,977 |
Note: 2017 is the most recent full year on record. The figures for 2018 are still preliminary (as reported by the New York Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research), while 2019’s numbers are based on preliminary reports from the first five months of the year. It is likely that the numbers for both 2018 and 2019 will grow once the reports are complete. Historically, the largest numbers of auto accidents in New York happen during the months of June, October, November, and December. In fact, traffic accidents in December are sometimes double those that occur in the late winter and spring. This discrepancy may significantly affect the car accident injury statistics in NY for the remaining months of 2019.
These numbers tell us that, in a given year in the State of New York, nearly 40% of auto accidents involve some sort of injury or death. (The rate was even higher during 2017: over 55%.)
People with minor injuries represent the single biggest group of victims. However, even reportedly “minor” injuries can result in significant financial damages.
Whiplash, for example, is one of the most common auto accident injuries. Victims often report the injury as mild at first, but over time, symptoms can progress. In fact, nearly 8% of whiplash victims have symptoms serious enough to interfere with their daily lives for over a year.
What’s more, some safety experts believe that official law enforcement data may significantly underrepresent the rate of whiplash and other minor-to-moderate injuries, as symptoms are not always obvious right away.
If you have suffered a minor or moderate injury in a New York auto accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation under the laws of our state. The NYC & White Plains car accident lawyers at Lever & Ecker, PLLC can help.
Death Rate vs. Injury Rate in New York Traffic Accidents
Next, we take a look at the car accident injury statistics in NY by rate of death and rate of injury, each based on the most recent tabulations (calendar year 2017).
| Death Rate per Population | Death Rate per Licensed Drivers | Injury Rate per Population | Injury Rate per Licensed Drivers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 5.04 out of every 100,000 people in New York died. | 8.20 out of every 100,00 licensed drivers in New York died. | 855.2 out of every 100,000 people in New York were injured. | 1,391.39 out of every 100,000 licensed drivers in New York were injured. |
The numbers speak for themselves. Think about how often a hundred thousand New Yorkers are gathered together. The idea that more than 855 of them would suffer an auto accident each year is astounding. (That’s the equivalent of nearly 200 Madison Square Garden guests getting into a car accident on their way home after every event or show.)
Even more alarming, these numbers reveal that nearly 2% of all licensed drivers in New York will suffer an auto accident injury each year.
Car Accident Injury Statistics in New York by Ages of the Victims
Finally, let’s look at the total number of car accident injuries in New York during 2017 and sort them by the age of the victim:
| Killed | Injured | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under | 10 | 2,300 | 2,310 |
| 4 – 6 | 6 | 2,125 | 2,131 |
| 7 – 15 | 21 | 8,090 | 8,111 |
| 16 – 17 | 22 | 4,378 | 4,400 |
| 18 – 20 | 60 | 10,456 | 10,516 |
| 21 – 29 | 183 | 35,914 | 36,097 |
| 30 – 39 | 121 | 30,431 | 30,552 |
| 40 – 49 | 114 | 23,978 | 24,092 |
| 50 – 59 | 142 | 24,589 | 24,731 |
| 60 – 69 | 111 | 15,124 | 15,235 |
| 70 and Over | 202 | 10,182 | 10,384 |
| Unknown Age | 8 | 2,185 | 2,193 |
| TOTAL | 1,000 | 169,752 | 170,752 |
Sadly, auto accidents do not discriminate when it comes to the age of the victim. While improvements in child safety seats have gone a long way in driving down the number of infant fatalities in car crashes, the numbers are still entirely too high. Nearly 5,000 children under the age of 7 were injured or killed in a New York car crash during 2017 alone.
Free Consultation with Our NYC & White Plains Auto Accident Lawyers
Lever & Ecker, PLLC is a New York law firm with years of experience in helping injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians claim the financial justice they deserve.
We offer a free consultation to auto accident victims. If we take your case, we won’t charge a fee for our services unless and until we get you money.
Time limits do apply to New York personal injury claims, so please don’t delay. To get started, call (914) 288-9191 in White Plains, or simply contact us online.
