ALBANY - Governor David Paterson Wednesday announced that 2007 was the safest year on New York’s highways since the State began keeping records on highway safety in the early 1920s. According to final Department of Motor Vehicle records for 2007, the total number of traffic fatalities decreased from 1,433 in 2006 to 1,317 in 2007, an eight percent reduction. Additionally, data from the DMV shows that in 2007 motorcycle crash fatalities decreased by nearly 11 percent, large truck crash fatalities decreased by nearly 20 percent and pedestrian crash fatalities decreased by 14 percent.

New York’s traffic safety programs are funded through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), which is comprised of 12 statewide agencies who all play a significant role in reducing crashes. The GTSC distributes federal highway safety grants to state, local and not-for-profit agencies to conduct various highway and traffic safety initiatives. Each year, after analyzing accident data and conducting program research, the GTSC – with oversight from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and input from local agencies – determines program funding priorities.