New Mexico likely to drop out of top states for traffic deaths
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With countless miles of highways and roads, New Mexico often sees more than 400 traffic deaths per year. But the latest estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation show that New Mexico likely saw a decrease in traffic deaths in 2023.
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that New Mexico saw 407 traffic fatalities in 2023. That’s a decrease of about 13% compared to 2022.
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Estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation show traffic fatality rates in different states.
That means New Mexico saw about 1.46 fatalities per vehicle miles traveled in 2023, placing New Mexico outside the top 10 deadliest states. The year prior, 2022, New Mexico was one of those deadliest states per vehicle miles traveled, ranking at number three with 1.74 deaths per vehicle miles traveled.
The southwest region – including states like New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado, and others – generally saw a decrease in traffic fatality rates from 2022 to 2023. The 2023 estimates place Mississippi, South Carolina, and Arizona at the top of the list of states with the highest rate of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled.
