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

State TotalDeaths

2008

AlcDeaths

2008

TotalDeaths

2009

AlcDeaths

2009

CensusPopulation

2008

CensusPopulation

2009

TotalRate

2008

AlcRate

2008

TotalRate

2009

AlcRate

2009

TotalRank

2008

AlcRank

2008

TotalRank

2009

AlcRank

2009

TotalRate %

Change

AlcRate %

Change

Alabama 969 314 848 280 4,677,464 4,708,708 20.72 6.71 18.01 5.95 6 8 11 10 -13.07 -11.42
Alaska 62 21 64 20 688,125 698,473 9.01 3.05 9.16 2.86 41 34 36 37 1.70 -6.17
Arizona 938 262 807 219 6,499,377 6,595,778 14.43 4.03 12.24 3.32 20 24 25 28 -15.22 -17.63
Arkansas 600 170 585 168 2,867,764 2,889,450 20.92 5.93 20.25 5.81 4 10 5 11 -3.23 -1.92
California 3,434 1,025 3,081 950 36,580,371 36,961,664 9.39 2.80 8.34 2.57 40 39 41 42 -11.21 -8.27
Colorado 548 176 465 158 4,935,213 5,024,748 11.10 3.57 9.25 3.14 31 28 34 33 -16.66 -11.83
Connecticut 302 95 223 99 3,502,932 3,518,288 8.62 2.71 6.34 2.81 43 42 48 39 -26.48 3.76
Delaware 121 44 116 45 876,211 885,122 13.81 5.02 13.11 5.08 22 15 20 14 -5.10 1.24
Dist of Columbia 34 9 29 10 590,074 599,657 5.76 1.53 4.84 1.67 50 51 51 48 -16.07 9.34
Florida 2,980 887 2,558 770 18,423,878 18,537,969 16.17 4.81 13.80 4.15 14 18 18 19 -14.69 -13.72
Georgia 1,495 405 1,284 331 9,697,838 9,829,211 15.42 4.18 13.06 3.37 17 22 21 27 -15.26 -19.36
Hawaii 107 42 109 52 1,287,481 1,295,178 8.31 3.26 8.42 4.01 44 31 40 20 1.26 23.07
Idaho 232 78 226 58 1,527,506 1,545,801 15.19 5.11 14.62 3.75 18 14 16 23 -3.74 -26.52
Illinois 1,043 356 911 319 12,842,954 12,910,409 8.12 2.77 7.06 2.47 45 41 46 43 -13.11 -10.86
Indiana 820 206 693 210 6,388,309 6,423,113 12.84 3.22 10.79 3.27 25 32 28 29 -15.95 1.39
Iowa 412 89 372 96 2,993,987 3,007,856 13.76 2.97 12.37 3.19 23 37 24 32 -10.13 7.37
Kansas 384 138 386 154 2,797,375 2,818,747 13.73 4.93 13.69 5.46 24 16 19 13 -0.24 10.75
Kentucky 825 186 791 194 4,287,931 4,314,113 19.24 4.34 18.34 4.50 10 21 9 18 -4.70 3.67
Louisiana 916 339 821 295 4,451,513 4,492,076 20.58 7.62 18.28 6.57 8 5 10 6 -11.18 -13.77
Maine 155 42 159 47 1,319,691 1,318,301 11.75 3.18 12.06 3.57 28 33 26 26 2.69 12.02
Maryland 591 145 547 162 5,658,655 5,699,478 10.44 2.56 9.60 2.84 35 43 33 38 -8.11 10.92
Massachusetts 364 120 334 108 6,543,595 6,593,587 5.56 1.83 5.07 1.64 51 47 50 50 -8.94 -10.68
Michigan 980 284 871 246 10,002,486 9,969,727 9.80 2.84 8.74 2.47 39 38 39 44 -10.83 -13.10
Minnesota 455 132 421 108 5,230,567 5,266,214 8.70 2.52 7.99 2.05 42 44 43 46 -8.10 -18.74
Mississippi 783 251 700 234 2,940,212 2,951,996 26.63 8.54 23.71 7.93 2 4 2 5 -10.96 -7.15
Missouri 960 314 878 300 5,956,335 5,987,580 16.12 5.27 14.66 5.01 15 13 15 15 -9.02 -4.96
Montana 229 90 221 81 968,035 974,989 23.66 9.30 22.67 8.31 3 2 3 3 -4.18 -10.64
Nebraska 208 53 223 66 1,781,949 1,796,619 11.67 2.97 12.41 3.67 30 36 22 25 6.34 23.51
Nevada 324 106 243 68 2,615,772 2,643,085 12.39 4.05 9.19 2.57 26 23 35 41 -25.78 -36.51
New Hampshire 138 45 110 30 1,321,872 1,324,575 10.44 3.40 8.30 2.26 36 30 42 45 -20.45 -33.47
New Jersey 590 152 583 149 8,663,398 8,707,739 6.81 1.75 6.70 1.71 47 50 47 47 -1.69 -2.47
New Mexico 366 105 361 114 1,986,763 2,009,671 18.42 5.28 17.96 5.67 11 12 12 12 -2.49 7.33
New York 1,238 346 1,156 321 19,467,789 19,541,453 6.36 1.78 5.92 1.64 48 49 49 49 -6.98 -7.58
North Carolina 1,428 423 1,314 363 9,247,134 9,380,884 15.44 4.57 14.01 3.87 16 19 17 21 -9.30 -15.41
North Dakota 104 47 140 54 641,421 646,844 16.21 7.33 21.64 8.35 13 6 4 2 33.49 13.93
Ohio 1,191 351 1,021 324 11,528,072 11,542,645 10.33 3.04 8.85 2.81 37 35 37 40 -14.38 -7.81
Oklahoma 750 242 738 235 3,644,025 3,687,050 20.58 6.64 20.02 6.37 7 9 6 8 -2.75 -4.03
Oregon 416 137 377 115 3,782,991 3,825,657 11.00 3.62 9.85 3.01 32 27 31 36 -10.39 -16.99
Pennsylvania 1,468 499 1,256 406 12,566,368 12,604,767 11.68 3.97 9.96 3.22 29 25 29 31 -14.70 -18.89
Rhode Island 65 23 83 34 1,053,502 1,053,209 6.17 2.18 7.88 3.23 49 45 44 30 27.73 47.87
South Carolina 921 400 894 377 4,503,280 4,561,242 20.45 8.88 19.60 8.27 9 3 7 4 -4.17 -6.95
South Dakota 121 35 131 53 804,532 812,383 15.04 4.35 16.13 6.52 19 20 13 7 7.22 49.97
Tennessee 1,043 306 989 303 6,240,456 6,296,254 16.71 4.90 15.71 4.81 12 17 14 17 -6.02 -1.86
Texas 3,476 1,310 3,071 1,235 24,304,290 24,782,302 14.30 5.39 12.39 4.98 21 11 23 16 -13.36 -7.54
Utah 276 49 244 40 2,727,343 2,784,572 10.12 1.80 8.76 1.44 38 48 38 51 -13.41 -20.05
Vermont 73 12 74 23 621,049 621,760 11.75 1.93 11.90 3.70 27 46 27 24 1.25 91.45
Virginia 825 276 757 243 7,795,424 7,882,590 10.58 3.54 9.60 3.08 34 29 32 35 -9.26 -12.93
Washington 521 183 492 206 6,566,073 6,664,195 7.93 2.79 7.38 3.09 46 40 45 34 -6.96 10.91
West Virginia 378 126 356 115 1,814,873 1,819,777 20.83 6.94 19.56 6.32 5 7 8 9 -6.07 -8.98
Wisconsin 605 205 561 213 5,627,610 5,654,774 10.75 3.64 9.92 3.77 33 26 30 22 -7.72 3.40
Wyoming 159 65 134 47 532,981 544,270 29.83 12.20 24.62 8.64 1 1 1 1 -17.47 -29.19
National 37,423 11,711 33,808 10,839 304,374,846 307,006,550 12.30 3.85 11.01 3.53 -10.43 -8.24
Puerto Rico 405 123 365 109 3,954,553 3,967,288 10.24 3.11 9.20 2.75 -10.17 -11.67
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