This indicator is part of Safe travel on streets.

Indicator description:

This indicator notes the rates of several types of traffic collisions. The local trend indicator depicts the number of citizens per 1,000 population who have a traffic collision, and also the number who are injured in collisions, whether a pedestrian, driver or passenger. The comparative indicator notes Albuquerque's rate of traffic fatalities and pedestrians killed per 100,000 population, compared to peer Southwest cities. These data can also be used to measure the likelihood of a citizen in Albuquerque being involved in a traffic collision, an injury crash, or a fatal crash.

Why is this indicator relevant?

Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for persons ages 1-34 in the US, and is a significant cause of death among Americans of every demographic. Safe travel on city streets is a combination of driver behavior, the mitigation of driver behavior by laws and enforcement of those laws, the proper design and maintenance of roadways and vehicle condition. Public policies addressing such road-user behaviors as speeding, red-light running, drunk driving, and seat belt use have been demonstrated to reduce casualties significantly, but tend to be unpopular with the public.

Data Sources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System data, 2006 data file; New Mexico Department of Transportation, UNM/DGR, 2001-2007 Data.

What can we tell from the data?

• Albuquerque's rate of injury crashes per 1,000 residents is at a 10-year low.
• Albuquerque's overall rate of traffic crashes per 1,000 residents has dropped over the past three years, following a previous low in 2003.
• Compared to peer Southwest cities, Albuquerque has a high rate of collision fatalities and pedestrian deaths.

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