NYC Traffic Safety
Which NYC Borough Has the Most Car Accidents?
A borough-by-borough look at crash data, pedestrian fatalities, and what Vision Zero still has to fix.
June 22, 2026
With more than 8 million people and 2 million cars across NYC's five boroughs, there are bound to be accidents. As we discussed previously, there are more than 250,000 car crashes and 200 fatalities per year in NYC. But that raises an interesting question: Which NYC borough has the most car accidents?
The short answer may surprise you. It isn't Manhattan, where traffic feels heaviest, and it isn't the Bronx, where expressways crisscross neighborhoods. The borough that consistently logs the most crashes — and increasingly the most deadly ones — is Brooklyn.
By the Numbers
NYC traffic, at a glance
8M+
New Yorkers sharing the streets across the five boroughs
2M+
Registered cars on NYC roads on any given day
250,000+
Reported car crashes citywide each year
200+
Annual traffic fatalities across all five boroughs
Citywide, NYPD records average between 7,000 and 9,000 reported crashes every month — but those crashes are not distributed evenly across the five boroughs.
Borough Breakdown
How crashes split across the five boroughs
NYPD reporting numbers for February 2022 give a clean snapshot of where crashes happen most often — and where they don't.
Brooklyn
The clear leader — and where pedestrian fatalities have spiked in recent months.
Queens
High traffic volume on bridges, highways, and commercial corridors keeps Queens near the top.
The Bronx
Dense neighborhoods and major expressways drive a steady crash rate.
Manhattan
Lower speed limits and added mid-block crosswalks have helped pull Manhattan's numbers down.
Staten Island
Fewer residents and less through-traffic translate to the lowest crash share citywide.
Brooklyn doesn't just lead the city in crash volume — its crashes also tend to be more severe than those in other boroughs.
Real Impact
Brooklyn's crash totals carry a real human cost
In February 2022 alone, six pedestrians were killed in Brooklyn while crossing the street. For context, all of 2020 saw fewer than 100 pedestrian deaths across the entire city — a single month in Brooklyn now claims a meaningful fraction of that figure.
That's a long way from Vision Zero's founding goal: eliminating traffic deaths across NYC.
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Six pedestrians were killed in Brooklyn in a single month — February 2022 — while crossing the street.
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In all of 2020, fewer than 100 pedestrian deaths were recorded across all five boroughs combined.
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Vision Zero was launched in NYC in 2014 with the explicit goal of eliminating traffic deaths.
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Brooklyn now consistently records more total crashes than any other borough, month after month.
What Brooklyn Can Learn
Manhattan's playbook for fewer crashes
Manhattan saw real reductions in crashes when it lowered speed limits and rolled out more mid-block crosswalks. The question is whether Brooklyn should adopt similar pedestrian-safety measures — or whether the city needs to revisit Vision Zero itself given the current state of our streets.
Lower speed limits where pedestrians walk
Manhattan saw measurable drops in crashes after dropping default speed limits and tightening enforcement in residential and commercial corridors.
Add mid-block crosswalks
Mid-block crosswalks shorten the distance pedestrians cover in the road and force drivers to slow at predictable points — a proven tool in dense neighborhoods.
Daylight intersections
Banning parking close to crosswalks improves sightlines so drivers see pedestrians sooner — a low-cost intervention with real safety upside.
Protect the most dangerous corridors first
Brooklyn's Vision Zero priority corridors carry a disproportionate share of fatalities. Concentrating redesigns there saves the most lives, fastest.
The bottom line
Brooklyn leads the city in crashes — and the deadliest ones.
Until the borough sees the kind of street-design changes that pulled Manhattan's numbers down, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians sharing Brooklyn's streets need to stay especially alert.
Next Steps
What to do if you're hurt in an NYC crash
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Call 911 from the scene
A police response means an official accident report — the foundation of any insurance or injury claim. Stay where you are if it's safe to do so.
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Get medical attention right away
Even if you feel fine, adrenaline masks serious injuries like concussions and internal trauma. Prompt care also creates the medical record your claim depends on.
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Document everything you can
Photograph vehicle positions, license plates, damage, the intersection, road conditions, and your injuries. Get contact info from drivers and any witnesses.
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Notify your no-fault insurer
New York is a no-fault state. You generally have 30 days to file an application for benefits — missing that window can cost you coverage for medical bills and lost wages.
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Talk to a New York injury attorney
Borough-specific crash patterns, comparative negligence, and no-fault thresholds all shape what your case is worth. An experienced NYC attorney can map the path to recovery.
Talk to a New York injury attorney
Hurt in a Brooklyn or NYC crash?
If you or someone you love were involved in a pedestrian or car accident, you deserve representation from a team you can trust. Call Koenigsberg & Associates Law Offices at (718) 336-2000 or send us an email to have an experienced NYC injury attorney evaluate your case.