New Mexico ranked worst in nation for pedestrian fatalities eighth year in a row

Across New Mexico, at least 93 people were struck and killed by drivers in 2024. Of those crashes, 46% involved alcohol. Nationally, 39% involved alcohol.

Fifty of the fatal pedestrian crashes in the state, or 53%, happened in Bernalillo County. The next closest, Santa Fe County, saw only six such deaths.

The fatalities statewide gave New Mexico an unenviable ranking for the eighth year in a row: the highest pedestrian death rate in the nation, according to a recently published report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. The annual report states that the 2024 data is preliminary.

Since 2016, the GHSA has ranked New Mexico in the top spot. Last year, the state had a rate of 4.41 per 100,000 people. The next closest, Arizona, had a rate of 3.60.

But the GHSA report and local studies found that New Mexico and the nation in general are showing improvement. The GHSA said fatal pedestrian crashes fell by 4.3%, or 324 crashes, from 2023 to 2024. The state saw a 13% drop from the 108 fatal crashes tallied in 2023.

“This is the second consecutive year of a modest decline in pedestrian deaths (nationwide) after several years of skyrocketing fatalities during the pandemic,” according to the report findings. “While this modest recent progress is welcome, pedestrian deaths are 19.2% above the 2016 level.”

In a statement, GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins called the decrease “a step in the right direction.” He added that “much more must be done to protect people walking.”

“Now is the time to double down on what works — more and better infrastructure, enforcement to deter dangerous driving behaviors, engaged and informed communities, and vehicles designed to protect people on foot,” Adkins said.

The 108 fatalities recorded statewide in 2023, including 56 in Bernalillo County, were both record highs for the respective areas, according to fatality reports released by the University of New Mexico.

From 2016 to 2020, the number of pedestrians killed in New Mexico hovered between the low 80s and high 70s. In 2021, the number jumped 27%, from 81 to 103 people killed and then dropped again in 2022 to 94.

The GHSA totals can differ slightly from UNM reports, which gather data from the state Department of Transportation. In most cases, the difference is marginal, but in 2023 GHSA tallied 10 fewer pedestrian fatalities in the state, with 98.

The majority of pedestrian deaths, year after year, are seen in Bernalillo County, with the largest cluster in a 3-mile stretch of Central from San Mateo to Eubank. The area has become synonymous with open-air drug use, encampments and mental health issues.

Since 2018, at least 40 people have been killed on that segment of road, dwarfing any other such trouble spots. The city of Albuquerque recently pledged $5 million to pedestrian safety projects, its biggest infrastructure commitment yet to the area.

By 2027, officials are planning to have converted two lanes of Central Avenue from regular traffic use to business access and transit, or BAT, lanes. The projects will also add two mid-block crossings and nearly 200 pedestrian lights along the roadside.

The GHSA said historical data on pedestrian fatalities “reinforces the need to focus on reducing alcohol impairment among drivers and pedestrians, slowing down vehicle speeds, and improving lighting and sidewalk conditions.”

“States are continuing to adjust their engineering, public education and engagement, and traffic enforcement efforts and embrace new technological solutions to ensure that the nation’s transportation network prioritizes the safe movement of all road users,” according to the report. “These efforts hopefully will lead to a further reduction in the number of pedestrian fatalities on America’s roads and the achievement of the ultimate goal — zero traffic deaths.”

This year, from January to June, at least 23 people have been fatally struck by drivers statewide, according to UNM data. At least seven of those crashes, or 30%, involved alcohol and 11 of the deaths, or 48%, happened in Bernalillo County.