Study ranks New Mexico as deadliest state for pedestrians

NM-528-at-Sundt

The new southbound lanes on NM 528, from just north of Northern Boulevard to Ridgecrest Drive, opened to traffic March 19. Here’s a photo taken Tuesday morning, with the new 10-feet-wide sidewalk visible at left, making pedestrians feel safer as they walk along the west side of the highway. The project is now in Phase 2A, with work being done on the median. Crews will continue to install storm drain pipe and drop inlets off Frontage Road, with traffic still detoured around Industrial Park Loop, allowing access to the northern businesses on the east Frontage Road. The anticipated completion date is Dec. 28, according to Kimberly Gallegos, with the state Department of Transportation, overseeing the $26.8 million project. Gary Herron / Observer

Kevin Hendricks Kevin Hendricks Kevin Hendricks Observer Staff Writer
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Results from a 2022 study released Tuesday ranked New Mexico as the deadliest state for pedestrians.

The study by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) shows there has been a 77% increase in pedestrian deaths across the country since 2010. New Mexico was the deadliest state for pedestrians in 2022, with a rate of 4.4 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. New Mexico’s rate in 2021 was 4.87, which also was the worst in the nation.

Late last month, there were two pedestrian deaths in one day in Rio Rancho.

Automoblog did an investigation and found that pedestrian deaths are skyrocketing, and it’s hard to pin the blame.

Here’s what the study found:

  • Virginia had 169 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, a year-over-year increase of 35%.
  • The most common factors in these situations are speed and road design.
  • Because the U.S. is car-centric, roads often aren’t designed with pedestrian safety in mind.
  • Municipalities bear responsibility for this uptick, as there is generally little interest in studying the causes of pedestrian deaths.
  • Automakers share the blame — cars are growing in size. A Ford F-150 likely causes worse injuries than a Toyota Camry traveling at the same speed.
  • A long-term solution to rising pedestrian fatalities seems far off.
  • Richmond put speed bumps and narrowed roads around VCU
  • Washington, D.C., saw success in protecting cyclists and pedestrians
  • Delegate Betsy Carr of Richmond, Virginia, introduced HB 1903 in 2021, allowing local governments to enact speed limits below the minimum of 25 mph.
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