Our monthly look at New Mexico traffic fatalities via reports by the Traffic Research Unit at UNM shows a relative respite in the level of carnage for those walking the state’s streets and roadways:

Unfortunately, overall fatalities in the state climbed to 43, significantly higher than the August figure in the prior two years:

Death figures in August were, of course, affected by the deaths of now nine aboard a bus struck by an 18-wheeler in McKinley County. Noteworthy, too, is another person killed while cycling New Mexico roads, bringing the 2018 total of “pedalcyclist” deaths to five.

Last month’s relatively low number of pedestrian fatalities now has NM on an annual rate of 78, still a record pace. News of deaths in the early days of September seem to indicate August might end up, unfortunately, being an outlier.