N.M. among worst in nation for auto crashes that kill kids
Most who die aren’t in seat belts or car seats, but improper use of restraints also a problem
New Mexico has the fifth-highest rate of traffic crash deaths in the nation and the second-highest rate of child fatalities from crashes, state and federal data show.
SafeWise, an online site that reviews safety products, highlighted the numbers in a new report, saying the majority of those who died in crashes across the U.S. in 2016, the most recent data available, were either not wearing a seat belt or not restrained in a car seat, or a restraint was being used improperly.
This was also the case in New Mexico for both children and adults. The state Department of Transportation says in its 2016 crash report that out of 20 children ages 1 to 14 who were killed in traffic accidents, 12 were not restrained. More than half of older teens and adults killed in passenger vehicles were unbuckled as well.
The 405 total deaths in the state in 2016 — including 77 pedestrians fatally struck by vehicles — was a five-year high. Preliminary data for 2017 show the number of deaths declined by 6 percent.
The rate of child deaths in New Mexico in 2016 was 4.92 fatalities per 100,000 children. That compares with a national rate of 2.02 in 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Mississippi had the highest rate in the nation, at 5.88. New Hampshire and Rhode Island tied as the safest states for child passengers with no deaths.
“We felt it was important to discuss how to keep our little ones safe,” said Krystal Rogers of SafeWise, adding the report was “a really good reminder for people to know their child is buckled in and seated properly.”
Franklin Garcia, director of the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Traffic Safety Division, said there is no single factor leading to the state’s high rate of crash deaths. More than half the fatal crashes in 2016 involved alcohol or drug use. Another reason Garcia cited was the state’s rural nature: “Our drivers and our children are on the roads a lot more.”
Car seats for young children are valuable tools, Garcia said.
“What is concerning,” he said, “is while people may be using a car seat, they may not be utilizing it correctly. We want to be proactive to address these issues.”
Issues vary from not properly installing a seat to using the wrong size for a child, Garcia said.
In order to increase awareness of proper safety seat use, the Department of Transportation has partnered with organizations to distribute car seats and to host clinics educating parents on proper seat fittings.
Garcia said the department also provides about $300,000 to law enforcement agencies to conduct seat belt and child restraint enforcement efforts. In 2017, he said, the department funded 7,000 hours of officer overtime that resulted in 5,893 seat belt citations and 318 child restraint citations.
“We can’t force people to put children in car seats, but we can help provide resources,” said Lisa Kellosf, CEO of Albuquerque-based Safer New Mexico Now, one of the nonprofits that contracts with the state to raise awareness of car seat use and other traffic safety concerns.
“The key is education,” Kellosf said. “We don’t want them to just come in and have us install it. We want to teach them.”
BY THE NUMBERS
3: Average number of kids in the U.S. killed in traffic crashes every day in 2016 20: Number of child passengers ages 1 to 14 killed in New Mexico in 2016 405: Total number of crash-related deaths in the state that year 50.4 percent: Fatal car crashes in the state in 2016 that involved alcohol or drug use $106: Average fine for child safety seat violations in 10 states with lowest death rates $25: Fine in New Mexico for child safety seat violation
ON THE WEB
To learn more about child car seat regulations, to find out the right size for your kid or to make an appointment for a fitting, visit Safer New Mexico Now at safernm.org.