Exclusive | NYC traffic deaths plummet in first quarter of 2025, city data shows

Traffic-related deaths have plummeted in the Big Apple during the first quarter of the year, new city data released Wednesday shows.The number of vehicular fatalities dropped citywide despite the recent shocking case of an alleged speed demon who mowed down and killed a 32-year-old mom and her two daughters in Brooklyn on March 29.There were 41 traffic deaths during the first three months of 2025 — 24 fewer than the 65 deaths reported last year — and the lowest number since 2018, when there were 40 fatalities — the city Department of Transportation said.It’s the second lowest number of deaths in a first quarter since 1990, when there were also 40 fatalities, the DOT said.The agency tracks traffic deaths involving pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and occupants of motor vehicles — all of which saw declines from January through March.

The DOT attributed the drop to beefed-up “Zero Vision” initiatives started under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and continued under current Mayor Eric Adams.After taking office, Adams dedicated $900 million in capital and operating funding over five years to address traffic safety, officials said.“In order to make New York City the best place to raise a family, we need to be safer at every level — including on our streets,” Adams said.“Our administration’s investments in intersection safety improvements, treating traffic violence as the serious crime that it is, and our expanding automated camera enforcement are all helping ensure we’re leading the way toward a safer future for all New Yorkers — whether they are pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists.”But Hizzoner also acknowledged the horrific Ocean Parkway crash in which 35-year-old wigmaker Miriam Yarimi has been charged with manslaughter for the deaths of 32-year-old Natasha Saada and her two daughters, 8-year-old Diana and 5-year-old Debra.

A third sibling, 4-year-old Philip, remains in critical condition at an area hospital.“There is more work to do, as ev...