November roadway fatality figures from the Traffic Research Unit (TRU) at the University of New Mexico are out (thanks for the quick report this month, TRU!), and while the rate of pedestrian deaths has fortunately slowed from October, and will likely not reach 2016’s recent year record of 77, the percentage of such deaths relative to overall roadway fatalities was dramatically higher.

With 6 pedestrians killed and 21 roadway deaths overall, that’s 28.5% of all deaths. The 2017 rate through November is 19.3%; looking back at years back to 2006 shows a pretty constant rate of just under 20%.

As to meaning and interpretation of this spike in relative percentage, the November figure is just one month of data. So too, much has been made elsewhere of a recent online report that “Albuquerque is the deadliest city for cyclists,”  a report that cherry-picked one year, 2015, for such a proclamation. Readers will note the 2017 death count for New Mexico “pedalcyclist” in the table above.

It’s easy to conclude too much from too little. With that in mind, below is the latest update of TRU pedestrian/overall fatality report data going back to 2006.

Meanwhile, it appears yet another pedestrian has been killed this very morning on Carlisle south of Montgomery.

Be safe out there, everybody.

2007: 52
2008: 40
2009: 41
2010: 34
2011: 36
2012: 58
2013: 55
2014: 73
2015: 54
2016: 77
2017: 64 (through November)