Pedestrian Safety on Long Island by the Numbers
- WalkSafeLI
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
Long Island’s roadways are shared by many, from drivers to cyclists and micromobility users. The most vulnerable group of road users are those traveling on foot: pedestrians. News coverage of crashes and secondary crash data can give us insight into the current state of pedestrian safety on Long Island, and how we can improve it.
Pedestrian Crashes, Injuries, and Fatalities on LI, October 2024 – September 2025
If you pay attention to Long Island news, pedestrian injuries and deaths are a much more common subject of coverage than we’d like. According to Newsday’s Dangerous Roads series, more than 2,100 people have died and 16,000 others have been seriously injured on Long Island’s roads between 2014 and 2023.
The most recent data from the Nassau and Suffolk County Crash Dashboards maintained by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State Sheriffs' Association paint a more accurate picture of the state of pedestrian crashes on Long Island by the numbers. According to the crash dashboards, 642 pedestrians were involved in crashes from October of 2024 through September of 2025 in Suffolk County, with 573 injuries and 33 fatalities. In Nassau County, 888 pedestrians were involved in crashes during the same time period, with 856 injuries and 29 fatalities. The island-wide totals—1,530 crashes, 1,429 injuries, and 62 fatalities— are simply too many.
Change is Possible
The good news? These are pedestrian crashes, not accidents, meaning they are preventable. The “Three E’s” of pedestrian safety in New York State are engineering, enforcement, and education. Walk Safe Long Island focuses on the third “E,” education, to reduce pedestrian crashes across Nassau and Suffolk.
Education is Key
Research shows education can result in safer pedestrian behaviors. While engineers and law enforcement do their part to improve the safety of our roadways, road users can educate themselves about a number of topics to ensure their personal safety as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Know the law: Knowledge of the laws in place to protect all road users is key to ensuring pedestrians can safely traverse our shared roads. Test your knowledge of pedestrian laws in New York State using Walk Safe Long Island’s NYS V&T Laws for Pedestrian Self-Assessment.
Employ Best Practices: Some best practices outside of the law can greatly improve pedestrian safety, such as increasing visibility with brightly colored clothing and lights
Reduce Distractions: Awareness of your surroundings is vital for all road users to ensure everyone makes it to their destination safely. As a pedestrian, try to make eye contact with the drivers around you to make sure they see you. Minimize time spent looking at a smartphone or using headphones when walking.
The New York Coalition for Transportation Safety oversees Walk Safe Long Island and offers free law-based pedestrian safety programs for audiences of all ages. Learn more and request an educational presentation for your organization here.
Additional Resources
Check out the following Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee links for more pedestrian safety information and resources:
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