Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Children

Health Department: Car Crashes Remain Leading Injury Killer of NYC Kids

The blue line represents the total number of children killed by motorists. The brown, orange and peach lines line represent non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic victims, respectively. Graph: DOH
The blue line represents the total number of children killed by New York City motorists. The brown, orange and peach lines line represent black, white, and Latino victims, respectively. Graph: DOH
The blue line represents the total number of children killed by motorists. The brown, orange and peach lines line represent non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic victims, respectively. Graph: DOH

Fewer New York City children are dying in traffic, but car crashes continue to be the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among kids ages 1 to 12, according to an annual child mortality report issued by the Department of Health [PDF].

New York City motorists killed 44 children between 2009 and 2013, according to the DOH. That’s a decrease from 67 deaths between 2004 and 2008. Fires were the second leading cause of unintentional child injury death during the latest reporting period, with 16 fatalities between 2009 and 2013.

The report distinguishes between "unintentional" injury deaths and deaths that were classified as homicides and suicides.

The decline in deaths caused by motor vehicle collisions occurred mainly among black children, the DOH reports. However, disparities probably remain. The report doesn't spell out per capita traffic fatality rates by race or income, but kids living in the poorest neighborhoods are more likely to suffer unintentional fatal injuries, and the fatal injury rate among black children is higher than among white, Asian, or Latino children:

fatal_injury_rates

The 2015 child mortality report focused on traffic deaths and included a list of recommendations to make streets safer for kids, including expanding the city’s speed camera program. This year the DOH kept its traffic safety recommendations to two bullet points: one suggesting that officials "[p]romote policy and program initiatives for safer streets, such as street re-designs and focused enforcement to deter hazardous driving," and another advising parents to be "role models for safe walking."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

No Accident: Red Hook Pool Closure Saga Stems from Adams Administration ‘Underinvestment’

An Olympic-size pool in Red Hook has sat empty since the summer’s start, leaving residents in the area out to dry and pissed off in blistering, record high heat.

July 25, 2025

The Perfect Beast: Even Google’s AI Thinks Streets Are for Cars

Artificial intelligence is completely naturally addicted to promoting cars.

July 25, 2025

Friday Video: Krakow is a Polish Pedestrian Paradise

Check out how car drivers simply stop for pedestrians — and not just pedestrians in a crosswalk, but also pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk or even just thinking about maybe entering a crosswalk.

July 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Putting the ‘Con’ in ConEd Edition

Con Edison has blocked the Vernon Boulevard bike lane for more than a week now. Plus other news.

July 25, 2025

Fixing Canal Street Means Rethinking the Manhattan Bridge Itself: Experts

Canal Street needs a fix, but the city must go straight to the source.

July 24, 2025

Lower East Side Panel Joins Growing Chorus Against Tisch’s E-Bike Criminalization

Another New York neighborhood is calling for an end to the “disproportionate consequences” that e-bike users face under the NYPD’s sweeping crackdown.

July 24, 2025
See all posts