According to a new report, traffic fatalities in New York City increased more than 25 percent last fiscal year (which ended on June 30) over the prior fiscal year.

The management report which details these numbers came from the New York City Department of Transportation for Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In all there were 236 traffic related fatalities the prior fiscal year and 291 for the most recent fiscal year. This include fatalities involving vehicle collisions and collisions involving vehicles versus pedestrians.

This information is gathered and collated for the fiscal management report because these types of incidents cost the city money, not to mention citizens and/or visitors. There are costs involved in every traffic related collision, from police who are required to write incident reports to fire departments of emergency medical workers who must also arrive on the scene, especially if the incident results in a fatality.

In general traffic collisions were down slightly, about 1 percent. Most of the traffic fatalities involved speeding and incidents where the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The findings of this report are used also to determine exactly what steps need to be taken to ensure further safety on NYC roads. Currently the city is participating in a “Safe Routes to School” initiative which is designed to increase traffic safety when school children are or may be present. Among the changes already underway are additional safety zones around schools, including the use of speed humps to force traffic to slow down; traffic and roadway construction meant to improve the safety of traffic traveling in the area.

It seems likely, based on this report, the city will re-examine its efforts at traffic safety and focus now on increasing traffic safety in areas which saw the greatest rise i fatalities. This might include public safety awareness campaigns and increased enforcement of drunk and/or impaired driving laws.