New York City has hit a milestone in its efforts to make streets safer: with 205 traffic fatalities recorded in 2025, it's now achieved its lowest number of road deaths ever. The staggering drop is 19% from last year, when the city tallied 253 deaths, and just one fewer than in 2018 – a significant improvement since the city began keeping records back in 1910.
This decrease marks a notable 31% drop since Vision Zero's launch in 2014, aimed at eradicating traffic fatalities altogether. Transportation advocates point to street redesign projects and congestion pricing as key factors behind this progress. "The fewest traffic deaths since 1910 is an absolutely massive statistic," said Alexa Sledge, spokesperson for the Safe Streets advocacy group. This trend is particularly heartening after a peak in 1990 when road crash fatalities exceeded 700.
Interestingly, pedestrian fatalities accounted for the largest share of those killed, with 111 reported in 2025 compared to 122 in 2024. The number of deaths from car crashes has also plummeted, falling to 31 people down from 70 in 2020. Conversely, moped and bicycle fatalities have seen more modest declines: 15 on mopeds (down from 19 last year) and just four from traditional bicycles – the lowest in years.
Motorcyclists and other road users account for the remaining toll. The outer boroughs led the charge with significant proportional drops. Queens took second place, down by 23%, followed closely by Manhattan with an 11% decrease. Staten Island remained relatively flat.
While former Mayor Eric Adams' appointment of a new transportation chief may have contributed to these improvements, Sledge highlights that this success sets a strong foundation for the incoming administration to build upon and accelerate progress. "It should be a call to action to the Mamdani administration and everyone coming in...to recommit to not only the principles of Vision Zero but some quick and easy day-one actions," she emphasized.
This remarkable achievement underscores the importance of continued commitment to Vision Zero's ambitious goals, ensuring even safer streets for all New Yorkers.
This decrease marks a notable 31% drop since Vision Zero's launch in 2014, aimed at eradicating traffic fatalities altogether. Transportation advocates point to street redesign projects and congestion pricing as key factors behind this progress. "The fewest traffic deaths since 1910 is an absolutely massive statistic," said Alexa Sledge, spokesperson for the Safe Streets advocacy group. This trend is particularly heartening after a peak in 1990 when road crash fatalities exceeded 700.
Interestingly, pedestrian fatalities accounted for the largest share of those killed, with 111 reported in 2025 compared to 122 in 2024. The number of deaths from car crashes has also plummeted, falling to 31 people down from 70 in 2020. Conversely, moped and bicycle fatalities have seen more modest declines: 15 on mopeds (down from 19 last year) and just four from traditional bicycles – the lowest in years.
Motorcyclists and other road users account for the remaining toll. The outer boroughs led the charge with significant proportional drops. Queens took second place, down by 23%, followed closely by Manhattan with an 11% decrease. Staten Island remained relatively flat.
While former Mayor Eric Adams' appointment of a new transportation chief may have contributed to these improvements, Sledge highlights that this success sets a strong foundation for the incoming administration to build upon and accelerate progress. "It should be a call to action to the Mamdani administration and everyone coming in...to recommit to not only the principles of Vision Zero but some quick and easy day-one actions," she emphasized.
This remarkable achievement underscores the importance of continued commitment to Vision Zero's ambitious goals, ensuring even safer streets for all New Yorkers.
So that's the thing about cities like NYC, they're always evolving and trying new things to improve safety on the roads. I think it's awesome that 205 traffic fatalities is a record low - 19% less than last year is no joke! The street redesign projects and congestion pricing seem to be having a real impact. It's interesting to see how pedestrian fatalities were actually up this year, but overall the numbers are looking pretty good.
is amazing! i remember when they first started tracking these numbers back in 1910 and it's crazy how far we've come. congestion pricing and street redesign projects must be working like a charm 
i'm glad to see pedestrian fatalities going down, but motorcyclists are still a concern 
anyway, this is super inspiring to hear that the city's making progress towards Vision Zero 
19% less traffic fatalities in one year is insane! It's crazy how much progress they've made since 2014 with those street redesign projects and congestion pricing. And to see the outer boroughs like Queens and Manhattan leading the charge is awesome. I'm glad someone as a spokesperson for Safe Streets is being all optimistic about this, but what about the 111 pedestrian fatalities? That's still way too high if you ask me... 
just saw that NYC hit its lowest number of road deaths EVER with 205 fatalities in 2025... thats a 19% drop from last year and 31% since they started working on Vision Zero back in 2014 
it's all good, but what about the other users? I mean motorcyclists and others who are still on the road getting hurt 
! I'm so hyped that they've hit their lowest number of traffic fatalities ever - 19% less than last year and just one fewer than in 2018. This is straight fire 
! Street redesigns and congestion pricing have definitely been the game changers here. Pedestrian fatalities are still a concern, but at least we're seeing some progress 
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. Vision Zero's got this, let's keep it movin' 
. now if they can just get those pedestrian stats under control...
still hoping we see zero deaths on the roads one day 
i mean, it's amazing to see that traffic fatalities have dropped by 31% since vision zero started back in 2014! 
especially with pedestrian fatalities dropping so much too (111 this year vs 122 last year) 
it's a huge step forward for all new yorkers 
and it made me think about how awesome NYC is for drivers and pedestrians alike! Like seriously have you ever driven on the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset? It's a whole different level of zen, you feel? 
And I'm so stoked to hear that Vision Zero is working – 31% drop in traffic fatalities is insane! 