ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A new national analysis places New Mexico among the states with the highest rates of deadly highway crashes in the country.
The report, conducted by Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, ranks New Mexico fourth nationwide for fatal crashes per capita. The study found the state averages about 178 fatal crashes each year, translating to a rate of 8.38 deaths per 100,000 residents.
Only Wyoming, Mississippi, and Montana ranked higher. By comparison, the safest state, Washington, reported a rate of 2.27 deaths per 100,000 people.
The analysis also identified a rise in fatal crashes in New Mexico over several years. Annual totals increased from 150 in 2020 to a peak of 194 in 2023, before dropping to 169 in 2024. Despite the decline, the numbers remain above earlier levels.
When factoring in the amount of driving, New Mexico also ranked ninth in the nation for fatal crashes per vehicle miles traveled, placing it in the top 10 under both major safety measures used in the study.
Researchers point to several factors that may contribute to the higher rates, including rural highway conditions, higher-speed roadways, and longer emergency response times.
The findings are based on federal crash data collected between 2020 and 2024 and compared across all 50 states.
