New Mexico fatal crashes in 2021
FARS records 483 deaths in 429 fatal crashes in New Mexico in 2021.
In 2020 it records 398 deaths in 365 fatal crashes.
In 2021 the rate is 22.8 deaths for each 100,000 residents in New Mexico and 13.0 in the United States.
By deaths for each 100,000 residents in 2021, New Mexico was number 4 of 51, the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Deaths in New Mexico rose by 21.4% from 2020 to 2021. In the United States they rose by 10.8%.
In 2021, a driver was recorded as drinking in 27.0% of fatal crashes in New Mexico and 26.3% in the United States.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
NHTSA released the final file of 2021 on 1 Apr 2024. Release dates
2021 beside 2020
| Figure | New Mexico, 2021 | New Mexico, 2020 | United States, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 483 | 398 | 43,230 |
| Fatal crashes | 429 | 365 | 39,785 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | 22.8 | 18.8 | 13.0 |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 116 | 106 | 10,458 |
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA's definitions
Counties in 2021
| County | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Bernalillo County | 142 | 134 |
| Chaves County | 7 | 6 |
| Cibola County | 24 | 18 |
| Colfax County | 5 | 4 |
| Curry County | 9 | 9 |
| De Baca County | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Doña Ana County | 16 | 15 |
| Eddy County | 14 | 13 |
| Grant County | 10 | 9 |
| Guadalupe County | 7 | 6 |
| Hidalgo County | 3 | 1 or 2 |
| Lea County | 14 | 13 |
| Lincoln County | 3 | 3 |
| Los Alamos County | 3 | 3 |
| Luna County | 22 | 18 |
| McKinley County | 32 | 25 |
| Mora County | 4 | 3 |
| Otero County | 15 | 12 |
| Quay County | 8 | 6 |
| Rio Arriba County | 6 | 5 |
| Roosevelt County | 4 | 4 |
| San Juan County | 34 | 30 |
| San Miguel County | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Sandoval County | 19 | 17 |
| Santa Fe County | 22 | 19 |
| Sierra County | 9 | 8 |
| Socorro County | 13 | 11 |
| Taos County | 13 | 12 |
| Torrance County | 9 | 9 |
| Union County | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Valencia County | 11 | 11 |
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 2021 is not in the table. A count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2".
Time of day and weekday
| Time of day | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight to 6 a.m. | 67 | 15.7% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 78 | 18.2% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 125 | 29.2% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 158 | 36.9% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 83 | 19.3% |
| Monday | 50 | 11.7% |
| Tuesday | 45 | 10.5% |
| Wednesday | 56 | 13.1% |
| Thursday | 51 | 11.9% |
| Friday | 66 | 15.4% |
| Saturday | 78 | 18.2% |
Note: the tables have the fatal crashes with a known hour or weekday.
Road function class
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 95 | 22.3% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 2 | 0.5% |
| Other principal arterial | 139 | 32.6% |
| Minor arterial | 74 | 17.4% |
| Major collector | 66 | 15.5% |
| Minor collector | 12 | 2.8% |
| Local | 38 | 8.9% |
| Not reported | 3 | n/a |
Note: the shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. New Mexico fatal crashes in 2021. https://fatalroads.com/state/new-mexico/2021/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national file of 2021. NHTSA released the final file of 2021 on 1 Apr 2024. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Data to .
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
Which file does the 2021 page use?
NHTSA released the final file of 2021 on 1 Apr 2024.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 2021 was in New Mexico?
New Mexico had 483 of the 43,230 deaths in the United States in 2021. That is 1.1 percent.
In how many counties of New Mexico did FARS record a fatal crash in 2021?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 31 counties of New Mexico in 2021.
How many fatal crashes in New Mexico in 2021 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 116 of 429 fatal crashes in 2021.