New Mexico truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in New Mexico: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 9.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How New Mexico compares with United States
New Mexico against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where New Mexico stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | New Mexico | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 45.6 | 49.7 | 8% below the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 9.5 | 3.4 | 2.8× the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.49 | 1.1× the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 2.3% | 81% below the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.1% | 6.2% | 1.9× the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 13.8% | 15% below the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the US |
| After dark | 30.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the US |
Compared with the US, New Mexico is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
New Mexico at a glance: 9.5 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.4 across the US.
Overview
Police reported 11,407 crashes involving commercial trucks in New Mexico since 2015: 6,427 people were injured and 1,065 were killed.
That averages about 3 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.8% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (7.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.8% of truck crashes, against 41.9% across the US.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (6.1%).
Road surface: 12.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (the US: 6.2%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in New Mexico is I-40, with 184 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-25 (43), I-10 (38) and US-285 (35).
Garbage & waste trucks
48 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.4% share (the US: 2.3%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (15% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.1 deaths compared with 9.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for New Mexico fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-40, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at March schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 12.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above the US; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in New Mexico
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in New Mexico) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 184 |
| I-25 | 43 |
| I-10 | 38 |
| US-285 | 35 |
| SR-128 | 30 |
| US-54 | 23 |
| US-62 | 17 |
| US-550 | 15 |
| US-60 | 15 |
| US-70 | 15 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (New Mexico) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 1,286 |
| I-10 | 426 |
| I-25 | 247 |
| US-285 | 125 |
| US-550 | 112 |
| US-54 | 101 |
| I 40 West Bd Fw | 91 |
| US-70 | 75 |
New Mexico at a glance
| Population | 2,130,256 |
| Land area | 121,312.7 sq mi |
| Density | 18 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in New Mexico since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 160 | — | 42.5 |
| 2000s | 431 | +169% | 46.4 |
| 2010s | 879 | +104% | 48.4 |
| 2020s | 997 | +13% | 74.6 |
In the 1990s about 160 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 997. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 52.8 a year in 2016–19, 74.6 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in New Mexico
Largest places in New Mexico
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about New Mexico
How many truck crashes happen in New Mexico?
New Mexico has had 11,407 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 6,427 people and killing 1,065.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in New Mexico?
NHTSA data shows I-40 with 184 fatal large-truck crashes in New Mexico since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in New Mexico?
Truck crashes in New Mexico peak in January, with 10.8% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in New Mexico?
48 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in New Mexico since 2015, 0.4% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in New Mexico compared with the US?
New Mexico records 45.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 49.7 across the US.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in New Mexico?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.