Traffic Fatalities
In 2021, there were 32 fatalities, 11 of these (34%) in crashes that involved alcohol. By comparison, alcohol was involved in 24% of New Mexico traffic crash fatalities.
Traffic Fatalities in Alcohol-Involved Crashes
Of the 32 traffic fatalities
11 were in alcohol-involved crashes
11 were in alcohol-involved crashes
Trends, Traffic Crash Fatalities
Alcohol-involved traffic crash fatalities decreased dramatically through 2009, but have been gradually increasing since then. After a dip in 2020, the overall number of traffic fatalities increased somewhat in 2021, although alcohol-related traffic fatalities did not.
Trends, Alcohol-Involved Traffic Crashes
While there has been marked improvement, San Juan County is among the five worst counties in New Mexico for rates of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes.
There has been a gradual decline in the number of alcohol-involved traffic crashes, decreasing from 302 crashes with alcohol-impaired drivers in 2001, to 149 in 2020. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired underage drivers (under age 21) have decreased significantly from a peak of 45 in 2004 to 19 in 2020.
There has been a gradual decline in the number of alcohol-involved traffic crashes, decreasing from 302 crashes with alcohol-impaired drivers in 2001, to 149 in 2020. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired underage drivers (under age 21) have decreased significantly from a peak of 45 in 2004 to 19 in 2020.
Alcohol-Involved Crashes with Drivers Under Age 21
Males are more likely to be the driver in an underage alcohol-involved crash compared to females. Overall, the number of alcohol-involved crashes with underage drivers has significantly decreased, from 45 in 2004 to 19 in 2020.
Crash Severity
Alcohol-involved crashes are proportionally more severe, that is, are more likely to involve a fatality or injury. In 2019 of the 188 alcohol-involved crashes; 8.5% of them (16) were fatal crashes and 41.5% involved an injury. The same year, there were 1,770 non-alcohol involved crashes; 0.6% of them (11) were fatal and 29.7% involved injury.
Sources for alcohol-involved crashes are the Community Reports for San Juan County, New Mexico Department Transportation, Traffic Safety; published in collaboration with UNM Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS):
https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/community-reports.
Fatalities data are from the New Mexico Dept of Transportation Monthly Traffic Fatality Reports: https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/fatality-reports
DWI data and comparison rates were drawn from the NMDOT New Mexico DWI Reports: https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/annual-dwi-reports
National statistics for alcohol-involvement, available for 2018: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812864
https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/community-reports.
Fatalities data are from the New Mexico Dept of Transportation Monthly Traffic Fatality Reports: https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/fatality-reports
DWI data and comparison rates were drawn from the NMDOT New Mexico DWI Reports: https://gps.unm.edu/tru/crash-reports/annual-dwi-reports
National statistics for alcohol-involvement, available for 2018: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812864
An alternative rate for traffic crash data is 100M VMT (vehicle miles traveled), which takes into account distances traveled relative to crashes. San Juan Couny has a rate of 8.3 alcohol-involved crashes per 100M VMT, compared to New Mexico's rate pf 7.7.