Can We Reduce Pedestrian Deaths and Injuries in New Mexico?
September 19, 2025
New Mexico Ranks in the Top Five for Pedestrian Death Rates
New Mexico’s pedestrian death statistics are staggering. According to Governing, “Between 2012 and 2023, 933 pedestrians were killed in crashes in New Mexico.” In 2023 alone, 4.97 per 100,000 New Mexican pedestrians died, and New Mexico has been in the top five states for pedestrian deaths since 2012.
On top of that, pedestrian death statistics in Albuquerque might surprise you.
In The Article
Dangerous Intersections in Albuquerque for Pedestrians
According to the Tri-City Record, “Albuquerque has nine of [New Mexico’s] top 10 most dangerous intersections.” Six of these intersections are located on Central Avenue alone.
Albuquerque locals may know the intersection at Central and Louisiana as a place where transient pedestrians tend to gather, and that intersection saw 25 crashes that involved pedestrians in 2024.
Other dangerous intersections for pedestrians in Albuquerque, New Mexico include:
- Central and San Pedro with 17 pedestrian-involved crashes
- Central and Eubank with 16 pedestrian-involved crashes
- Central and Wyoming with 16 pedestrian-involved crashes
- Central and Coors (NM45) with 14 pedestrian-involved crashes
- Cerrillos and Siler with 12 pedestrian-involved crashes
- San Mateo and Montgomery with 10 pedestrian-involved crashes
- I-40 and Fourth with 10 pedestrian-involved crashes
- I-40 and Second with 8 pedestrian-involved crashes
With the sheer number of pedestrian-involved crashes, many are wondering what New Mexico plans to do to stop or at least reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries in New Mexico.
How is New Mexico Trying to Stop Pedestrian Deaths?
Reducing pedestrian deaths in New Mexico will require a multi-faceted approach that includes:
- Public education
- Social outreach
- New and updated crosswalks
- Pedestrian-friendly walkways
- Redesigned intersections
- Landscaping or land controls (fencing or barriers)
- Traffic quelling
This is no small task and will require a lot of public planning to ensure it is done properly. That is why the New Mexico Department of Transportation is working with Target Zero to help end traffic fatalities by 2050.
What is Target Zero New Mexico?
Traffic Zero is an initiative to coordinate various aspects of transportation in New Mexico, including the New Mexico Department of Transportation, with the vision that “every journey is completed safely, with zero driving-related deaths or serious injuries.” This includes pedestrian deaths.
Target Zero looks at the elements needed to make the streets and our transportation safer. These elements include safer people, safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer roads, and post-crash care.
Although the goal to have zero road fatalities by 2050 seems a little far fetched to some, the Target Zero program is working on enacting various methods that include:
- A strategic highway safety plan
- A highway safety improvement plan
- Railroad-highway crossing program
- A New Mexico bike plan
- A pedestrian safety action plan
- A community transportation safety plan
- A complete streets strategic plan
- A state rail plan
- Triennial highway safety plan
An action plan so massive may sound costly. However, according to the Target Zero handout, the current reactive approach that New Mexico takes to crash incidents costs approximately $123,000 per lane mile, annually. If we choose to take a proactive approach to our road and pedestrian safety, an estimated $25,800 would be the cost, giving an annual savings of $97,200 per lane mile in New Mexico. In addition, the handout also notes that this proactive approach leaves our roads in better conditions longer.
What to Do If You Were Hit By A Car In New Mexico
If you were hit by a car in New Mexico, and you were a pedestrian, it’s important to first focus on your well-being. If possible, call 9-1-1. If the conditions are safe, take pictures of the car and the area surrounding you were hit to preserve evidence of the conditions. If the driver of the vehicle stopped, be sure to collect his or her information, including name, phone number, insurance information, and a picture of their driver’s license.
If there were any witnesses, be sure to collect their information including name and phone number.
Be sure to seek medical attention, even if you don’t believe that you were injured. After a traumatic event like a pedestrian accident, your adrenaline might be up, and you may not know you’re injured until later or even days after. Seeking medical attention can help you find injuries that you aren’t aware of.
Contact a pedestrian accident lawyer in Albuquerque. The experienced lawyers at Ron Bell Injury Lawyers have worked with victims of pedestrian accidents and know how to negotiate with insurance companies to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, call us today for a free case evaluation. 898-BELL.
