Fatal car accidents on Long Island

There were 1,073 fatal car accidents on Long Island from 2012 to 2016, according to an examination of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. The agency compiled that data from law enforcement.

Those accidents killed 1,143 people. A look at the data shows:

• At least 154 people died in crashes involving drunken driving. This accounts for nearly half (44.8 percent) of the deaths in the 307 accidents in which either all drivers’ blood-alcohol content were reported or at least one driver was confirmed to be above the legal limit;
• At least 298 people died in crashes involving speeding. This accounts for more than a quarter (26.7 percent) of the deaths in the 1,046 accidents which all drivers’ speed was reported or at least one driver was confirmed to be speeding;
• At least 81 people died in crashes in which both drunken driving and speeding were factors. This accounts for 23.8 percent of deaths in the 304 accidents when both factors were reported;
• There were 421 pedestrians and cyclists killed, accounting for 36.8 percent of all crash victims;
• There were at least 198 victims who did not wear a seat belt or appropriate restraint, accounting for 30.6 percent of all deaths of vehicle occupants.

Below is a map of 991 accidents from 2012 to 2016 for which coordinates were available, broken down by whether alcohol and/or speed were factors according to the NHTSA, supplemented by Newsday reporting when available. Each accident also notes whether the victim was a pedestrian, and whether victims who were in vehicles used an appropriate form of safety restraint.

In general, there's been a downward trend since 2004 in fatal accidents. However, in 2015, crash deaths hit 260, the most on Long Island since 2007. Below is a chart showing the total number of car accident deaths on Long Island from 2000 to 2016.

Car accident deaths on Long Island, 2000-2016

Route 27 – which comprises mainly Sunrise Highway and parts of Montauk Highway in eastern Suffolk – led all roads with 86 crashes, 22 more than the second road on the list, the Southern State Parkway. Route 110, which is ranked seventh with 19 fatal crashes, is the only road in the top 10 that runs north-south and not east-west. Below is a chart of the 10 roads with the most fatal car accidents from 2012 to 2016.

Roads with the most fatal car accidents on Long Island, 2012-2016

The table below shows all 1,073 fatal car accidents on Long Island from 2012 to 2016 as recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, supplemented by Newsday reporting when available. The table includes when and where they occurred, how many people were killed and whether alcohol and speeding were factors. Times are listed in 24-hour format (i.e. 17:00 is 5 p.m.).