In NYC, Unlicensed Drivers Comprise One-Quarter Of Street Fatalities: Data

Unlicensed drivers are linked to fatal crashes much more often now than pre-pandemic

By Nolan Hicks

12:03 AM EST on January 13, 2026

In NYC, Unlicensed Drivers Comprise One-Quarter Of Street Fatalities: Data

Unlicensed drivers are now responsible for one-quarter of road fatalities — and are linked to fatal crashes much more often now than pre-pandemic, a new Streetsblog analysis shows.

Nolan Hicks

Nolan Hicks covered transportation, housing, public health and city agencies in the City Hall bureau for The New York Post from 2018-2024, most recently as the paper’s Senior Reporter for City Affairs. He previously worked as a City Hall and general assignments at The Austin American-Statesman from 2016-2018, where he uncovered self-dealing by a top aide to the city’s then-mayor that resulted in a federal investigation and guilty pleas. Before that, he was a reporter at the New York Daily News and the San Antonio Express-News. He joined Streetsblog in January 2025.

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