New Mexico ranked 11th in total car crashes; reported crash death rates declined

On September 9, the US Department of Transportation released its counts of 2009 traffic fatalities by state, which can be found on its website at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811363.pdf.    The counts provided therein allow comparison of risks of crash death in New Mexico to risks in other states, using census populations to calculate rates of death per 100,000 population (the standard method for analyzing death rates for public health problems like fatal crash injuries).  The USDOT publication also provides estimates of crash deaths by state involving 1 or more drivers at .08 bac, so risks for that category of crash can also be compared.  Results:

• NM ranked 11th among the 50 states/Dist. of Colombia for total crash deaths per 100,000 population in 2008, and 12th in 2009.
• NM’s total reported crash deaths declined from 366 in 2008 to 361 in  2009.
• NM’s death rate of total crash deaths per 100,000 population declined from 18.42 in 2008 to 17.96 in 2009, a drop of 2.49%  (by comparison, the national rate dropped 10.43%).
• NM’s 2009 rate of total crash deaths per 100,000 population was 63% higher than the USA national rate of 11.01.
• NM’s 2009 rate of total crash deaths per 100,000 population was 47% higher than Arizona’s rate of 12.24, 94% higher than Colorado’s rate of 9.25, and 104% higher than Utah’s rate of 8.76.

• NM ranked 12th among the 50 states/Dist. of Colombia for alcohol impaired driving fatalities per 100000 population in 2008, and 12th in 2009.
• NM’s estimated alcohol impaired driving deaths rose from 105 in 2008 to 114 in 2009.
• NM’s death rate of alcohol impaired driving deaths per 100,000 population rose from 5.28 in 2008 to 5.67 in 2009, an increase of 7.33%    (by comparison, the national rate dropped 8.24%)..
• NM’s 2009 rate of alcohol impaired driving deaths per 100,000 population was 61% higher than the USA national rate of 3.53.
• NM’s 2009 rate of alcohol impaired driving deaths per 100,000 population was 71% higher than Arizona’s rate of 3.32, 80% higher than Colorado’s rate of 3.14, and 294% higher than Utah’s rate of 1.44.

Notes: Death counts are from the USDOT’s “Traffic Safety Facts” Summary of Statistical Findings, August 2010, DOT HS 811 363.  Population values are from the US Census Population estimates as of July 2009 and July 2008.  USDOT’s “alcohol impaired driving death” values by state are their estimates of the number of crash deaths involving at least one driver who was at .08 BAC or higher, so the counts exclude deaths where the alcohol impairment was only on the part of a pedestrian or bicyclist.  2009 crash death estimates are preliminary.

USDOT Crash Death Estimates for 2008 & 2009, with rates per 100,000 population, ranks, and rate % change