Jun. 27—Motor vehicle fatalities in New York state rose 25.8% from 2019-2022, with fatalities at the highest level in a decade in 2022, even as the number of vehicle miles traveled, licensed drivers and traffic accidents have declined, according to a report released Thursday, June 27 by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“Traffic fatalities in New York have grown at an alarming rate since the pandemic,” DiNapoli said in a news release. “While there are fewer drivers on the road and vehicle safety features have greatly improved, more fatal crashes are occurring. As New Yorkers hit the road for the Fourth of July holiday and summer vacations, let’s drive cautiously and arrive safely.”

There were 1,175 traffic fatalities in New York in 2022, which was the highest number since 2013. Nationwide traffic related deaths grew by nearly 17% while New York’s fatalities increased by 25.8% between 2019-2022. The increase coincides with a 7% decrease in vehicle miles travelled and a 12.5% decline in traffic accidents in New York in that period.

Most fatal car crashes occur on urban roadways, which increased 68% in New York since 2017, according to the report. In 2022, Long Island led the state in the number of deaths — 164 in Suffolk County and 81 in Nassau County. Regionally, the North County had the highest per capita fatality rate in 2022 at 12.9 per 100,000 people, while New York City was the lowest at 2.9 per 100,000 people, likely because it has a large number of residents who do not own vehicles, the release stated.

Three out of four vehicles involved in fatal crashes were passenger vehicles and light trucks in 2022. Significantly, in 64% of fatal accidents, occupants who were not wearing a seat belt or helmet were killed. About one in three deaths in New York involved speeding, and another one in three involved a driver with a blood alcohol content above the federal legal limit of 0.08, according to the report. There was a 45% increase in fatalities involving drivers above the legal limit from 2019-2022.

The federal and state governments have numerous safe highway efforts underway, the release stated. For example, New York was allocated nearly $641 million over five years from the federal government for the Highway Safety Improvement Program. The enacted state budget for state fiscal year 2024-25 also included Sammy’s Law, which allows New York City to reduce its speed limits. DiNapoli’s report urges policymakers to consider giving more local governments the ability to adjust their minimum speed limits to help reduce traffic fatalities in the state, according to the release.