Killed By Truck
Killed by Automobile, the report by Right of Way profiled
here in recent weeks, found that from 1994-1997, 26% of pedestrian and
bicyclist fatalities in New York City were caused by trucks. Small or mid-size
trucks killed 167 persons, and tractor trailers killed 56 persons, including
8 bicyclists. Dump trucks, a category that includes garbage haulers, cement
mixers, asphalt trucks, etc., killed 33 people, all pedestrians. Included
in that figure are an estimated 26 pedestrians killed by garbage trucks
¾ one-third by NYC Sanitation trucks, the remaining two-thirds by
private carters. The overall fatality rate for garbage trucks, 24 per million
miles, was more than 8 times as great as that for all heavy trucks. Per
mile overall, light trucks killed 24% more persons per mile than heavy
trucks; it isn't known whether this reflects differences in driving or
in routes. All trucks killed over twice as frequently (per mile driven)
as cars.
