“One pedestrian death is one too many — but I’m encouraged by the significant drop in fatalities we’re seeing across New Mexico,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said as the state recorded its second straight year of declining pedestrian deaths. And for the first time in eight years, the state shed its ranking as the worst among US states for pedestrian fatality rates.
Records from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) show New Mexico fell to ninth place nationwide. Data showed the rate of 1.27 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people between January and June 2025, marking a sharp decline from 2.49 in the same period in 2024.
Pedestrian deaths across the state decreased to 89 in 2025 from 102 the previous year — the lowest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Albuquerque, pedestrian crashes that led to death dropped from 50 in 2024 to 43 in 2025, marking a second consecutive year of decline after a post-pandemic increase.
Lujan Grisham attributed the improvements to “smarter infrastructure, a safe-systems approach at NMDOT, targeted investments in our most dangerous corridors, and communities demanding better.” However, she cautioned that more work lies ahead.
Data show that no less than 30 of the fatal crashes occurred within the city limits of Albuquerque, with the remaining 13 located along highways and in Bernalillo County’s unincorporated areas. A substantial share of incidents has historically been concentrated along East Central Avenue, a stretch of road where 45 pedestrians have died since 2018.
City officials say recent investments in safety are beginning to show results. These investments include a $5-million package for road redesign, improved lighting, and median fencing. The measures are part of a broader “safe system approach” that aims to anticipate human error and redesign roads to reduce the possibility of fatal results.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller welcomed the developments but urged caution. “We’ve been working on some major changes to try and turn that around,” Keller said. “But it’s much, much too early to tell.”
Officials from the New Mexico Department of Transportation say the decline is not due to a single factor. Shannon Glendenning, director of the Traffic Safety Division, credited the decline to a “holistic” strategy that combines safer road design, speed management, public education, and post-crash care.
“The major principle around it is that death and serious injuries are not acceptable,” she said. “Zero is the only acceptable number.”
Early data for 2026, however, suggest the problem persists. New Mexico has already recorded 19 pedestrian deaths across the state, including five within Albuquerque city limits. It is down from 11 in the same period last year.
City officials are expanding the initiatives beyond infrastructure, launching a “Stop For Everyone” campaign. The campaign aims to change driver behavior, especially distracted driving and speeding.
Keller said the issue is not only about extreme recklessness. “Reckless driving is looking at your cellphone… or consistently going over the speed limit,” he said. He described it as a broader societal problem.
Officials highlight progress. But they stressed that sustained, multi-layered interventions — that is, redesigning roads and reshaping driver habits — will be key to keep the downward trend.
The state’s improved ranking offers a measure of hope. “We still have work to do,” Lujan Grisham said, “but two consecutive years of decline tell us we’re investing in the right solutions.”
