Brooklyn is a busy borough, and car accidents are unfortunately common. Crowded traffic conditions, congested streets, and intersections where drivers often ignore right-of-way laws contribute to Brooklyn’s high rate of car accidents.
Brooklyn’s problems with accidents aren’t all rooted in our tricky infrastructure and seemingly endless traffic. A number of common driver errors lead to many accidents in the area. Being aware of these mistakes can help you protect yourself on the road. If you were involved in an auto accident, our skilled Brooklyn car accident lawyers can provide the necessary legal assistance to seek the compensation you deserve.
Driver Inattention/Distraction
Driver inattention or distraction is the leading cause of car accidents in Brooklyn. Out of the 28,912 car crashes from 2024 to 2025, driver distraction was a primary contributing factor in 8,275 cases, comprising nearly 30 percent of all Brooklyn crashes. Distractions such as texting, phone calls, and other activities all divert drivers’ attention, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. Cell phones were explicitly mentioned in 16 Brooklyn crash reports in 2024.
A local factor that increases the likelihood of distracted driving is the busyness of Brooklyn’s streets and intersections. Dense standstill traffic and long waiting times on crowded streets such as Atlantic Ave., Flatbush Ave., Bedford Ave., and Broadway make drivers more prone to distraction. This can lead to potentially disastrous mistakes such as rear-end collisions, T-bone crashes, as well as bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.
Failure To Yield Right of Way
Not yielding the right of way is also a common cause of many car accidents in Brooklyn. Right-of-way laws specify which motorists on the road are permitted to move first at stop signs, crosswalks, and other traffic signals. Failing to yield the right of way can look like ignoring pedestrians in a crosswalk, turning into oncoming traffic, or failing to stop at a yield sign when other cars are approaching. This type of driver error can be catastrophic, as it can lead to T-bone crashes, multi-car pileups, and head-on collisions with cyclists and pedestrians.
Busy intersections in Brooklyn that many drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists cross, such as Coney Island Ave. and Cortelyou Rd. or Tillary St. and Flatbush Ave., are common sites of failure to yield accidents. From 2024 to 2025 failure to yield was a contributing factor in 1,978 car crashes in Brooklyn.
Unsafe Driving Maneuvers
Not paying attention while driving or failing to stop for others on the road can be accidental driver errors. There are also a few types of unsafe and illegal driving maneuvers that are usually committed deliberately by drivers. Dangerous driving decisions like these often lead to accidents, including in Brooklyn, where unsafe driving played a contributing role in many collisions in 2024.
Common unsafe driving maneuvers include:
Tailgating or Following Too Closely
Tailgating or following too closely increases the likelihood of rear end collisions by shortening the tailgating driver’s window of reaction time. This means they can’t brake quickly enough if the car in front of them stops.
Tailgating is a major risk in Brooklyn due to street congestion and the limited amount of space for each vehicle. From 2024 to 2025, some 1,919 crashes in Brooklyn were caused by following too closely.
Improper Passing or Lane Usage
Improper passing or lane usage occurs when a driver swerves into an oncoming traffic lane to get around a driver in front of them. These driving tactics create a serious risk of head-on collision with cars driving in the opposite direction and caused 1,222 crashes in 2024.
Improper lane changes and passing are highly dangerous maneuvers, especially in areas with heavy traffic or unclear lane markings.
Passing Too Closely
Passing too closely led to 1,138 accidents in Brooklyn in 2024. Passing vehicles too closely can lead to side collisions or forcing other drivers off the road. Even in situations where a motorist is passing legally, the maneuver can become highly dangerous when the passing driver doesn’t give adjacent cars enough room to drive safely. The maneuver is especially common on cramped streets like Kings Highway and Bushwick Ave.
Unsafe Speed
Speeding is a common driver error that often leads to accidents. The more crowded a road, the more dangerous it becomes to operate a vehicle at an unsafe rate of speed. On busy streets like the ones in Brooklyn, speeding can cause serious accidents and multi-car pileups that lead to major injuries and property damage. Non-drivers on the road are at particular risk of injury in speeding accidents. Pedestrians and cyclists can’t get out of the way fast enough to avoid a moving vehicle, often resulting in serious injury or death.
Speeding also reduces a driver’s ability to stop their vehicle in time to avoid an accident. This is especially true on wide, fast-moving roads where driver reaction time is already limited, like those in neighborhoods such as Canarsie, Greenpoint, Midwood, and Bay Ridge. From 2024 to 2025, speeding caused 1,060 car accidents in Brooklyn.
Traffic Control Disregarded (Ignoring Traffic Signals/Signs)
An accident caused by a driver’s failure to pay attention to a traffic signal is typically called “traffic control disregarded” in official reports. Disregarding traffic signals, stop signs, and other traffic markers was a contributing factor in 962 car accidents in Brooklyn in 2024.
Ignoring traffic signals is particularly dangerous in areas where pedestrian traffic is high and visibility is limited, such as 4th Ave., Atlantic Ave., Church Ave., and Marcus Garvey Blvd.
Other Key Factors Contributing to Car Accidents
Many factors contribute to car accidents in Brooklyn, some beyond the driver’s control. For example, environmental conditions like slippery roads, sun glare, and defective pavement caused 291 accidents in 2024, while sudden health issues led to 115. Driver inexperience accounted for 710 crashes in Brooklyn in 2024. Young or newly licensed drivers are especially at risk, as many struggle with skills like defensive driving, merging, or handling adverse weather conditions.
Other common causes of car accidents in Brooklyn arise from deliberate illegal conduct, such as excessive alcohol consumption, aggressive driving or road rage, and the use of illegal drugs. This lawless behavior by drivers places everyone on the road at risk and sharply increases the likelihood of an accident. Alcohol involvement caused 634 crashes in Brooklyn in 2024, while aggressive driving caused 248, and the use of illegal drugs caused 18.
Speak With Experienced Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyers at Chopra and Nocerino Today
If you’ve recently been injured in a car accident in Brooklyn, you have options. No matter the cause of your collision, you can rely on Chopra & Nocerino to handle your case with diligence, professionalism, and skill.
Our expert Brooklyn personal injury attorneys have experience handling car accident claims and will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. We’re real New Yorkers who are proud to serve our city, and we will stop at nothing to defend our client’s rights. Contact us at (855) NYC-HURT or online today for your free legal consultation.
