New Mexico continues to hold the nation’s highest pedestrian death rate for the eighth consecutive year, with 2.07 deaths per 100,000 residents in the first half of 2024 — more than double the national average of 0.97, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The preliminary data shows 93 pedestrians were killed statewide in 2024, down 13% from a record 108 deaths in 2023. Despite the decline, New Mexico’s rate of 4.41 deaths per 100,000 people still significantly exceeds Arizona’s 3.60, the second-highest state rate.
More than half of the state’s pedestrian deaths — 50 fatalities — occurred in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque. Santa Fe County saw six deaths.
Alcohol was involved in 46% of New Mexico’s fatal pedestrian crashes in 2024, significantly higher than the 39% national average. The data comes from the University of New Mexico Traffic Research Unit, which maintains official state crash records in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
The majority of deaths occur in a three-mile stretch of Central Avenue from San Mateo to Eubank, where at least 40 people have been killed since 2018. The area has become associated with open-air drug use, encampments and mental health issues.
Albuquerque officials are launching their most significant pedestrian safety initiative yet, committing $5 million to infrastructure improvements as part of the city’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2040.
Construction was scheduled to begin this month on Central Avenue between Louisiana Blvd. and Juan Tabo Blvd., where the city will convert the six-lane street to four lanes. The outer lanes will become Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes designed to give both pedestrians and drivers extra time to see each other.
The project will add 200 solar lights along both sides of Central Avenue and install pedestrian crossing signals called HAWK signals. Additional mid-block crossings are planned for the corridor.
While New Mexico’s ranking remains troubling, the state mirrors a national trend of modest improvement. The GHSA reports that pedestrian deaths nationwide fell 2.6% in the first half of 2024, the second consecutive year of decline after several years of increases during the pandemic.
“This is the second consecutive year of a modest decline in pedestrian deaths nationwide after several years of skyrocketing fatalities during the pandemic,” the GHSA report states. “While this modest recent progress is welcome, pedestrian deaths are 19.2% above the 2016 level.”
Nationally, California, Florida and Texas account for more than one-third of all pedestrian deaths, though New Mexico’s per-capita rate significantly exceeds these larger states.
GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins called the nationwide decrease “a step in the right direction” but emphasized 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 association’s historical data reinforces the need to focus on reducing alcohol impairment among drivers and pedestrians, slowing vehicle speeds, and improving lighting and sidewalk conditions.
Through June 2025, 23 pedestrians have been fatally struck statewide, according to UNM data, putting the state on pace for another challenging year despite ongoing safety efforts.
