NEW YORK STATE, (WBNG) — New York State saw a sharp decline in the number of fatal crashes in 2025 when looking at data over 10 months compared to 2024, according to information from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.
From January 2025 to October 2025, there were 681 recorded motor vehicle fatalities, a number that fell from the 766 deaths reported during the same time frame in 2024. In upstate New York, including the Southern Tier, the number of fatalities fell from 490 in 2024 to 420.
Fatal motorcycle crashes also dropped in 2025, from 157 to 134.
“The recent decline in fatal crashes is a testament to the high level of commitment to traffic safety by our troopers and law enforcement partners,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “Educating the motoring public about the risks associated with impaired and distracted driving, improper use of safety restraints, and speeding is only a portion of it,” he said.
In 2025, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) launched a statewide marketing campaign to focus on reducing speeding, impaired, and distracted driving, and motorcycle safety. GTSC funded targeted enforcement campaigns that concentrated on impaired, distracted, and drowsy driving.
Several factors contribute to the decline in deaths, including proper education, enforcement, and roadway engineering. The GTSC work year round with law enforcement, from the state to the local level, to educate the public about safe driving and supporting efforts that target dangerous behavior.
At the engineering level, the New York State Department of Transportation has adopted a system intended to design and manage road infrastructure that keeps the risk of human error low and minimizes the chance of a fatal or serious injury crash.
As part of the Safe System Approach toward Zero Deaths, the NYSDOT reviews state highway conditions and will make improvements when needed, along with seeking out innovative projects and solutions that maximize safety, the release said.
“The reduction in fatal crashes is significant, and we are grateful to the work of our team here at New York State DOT, who work every day to advance our Safe System Approach Toward Zero Deaths,” said NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
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