COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Taos County, New Mexico
Road fatality data for Taos County (NM). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 71
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 4
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 11.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Taos County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 4 deaths in the latest year.
Taos County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Taos County ranks #1,586 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #21 of 24 rated counties in NM. Taos County's fatality rate of 11.6 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,586 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #1,028 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #21 of 24
- in NM by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost TAOS-55 · Taos 11.6/100k · #1,586 of 2,328
Taos County · 11.6/100k · increasing
- MILE 11.6/100k
- POST #1,586 of 2,328
- BAND 71 book
- VOL Increasing
- AVG 66 crash
- YOY -63.0% vs NM
Stamps derive from this county's NHTSA FARS row (per-100k or book, corpus rank, trend, nationwide peer NAME, vs-state gap), not a trip-risk forecast. PlainRoadSafety is informational only. See our disclaimer. Verify with NHTSA FARS → · Read with methodology → · Understanding road fatality data → · New Mexico state profile →
How does Taos County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Taos County is 63% safer than the comparison
2023 road deaths from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System over population from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2023). Rates shown for counties with 10,000+ residents and a 2023 FARS record.
Among the 15 rated counties in New Mexico, Taos County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 31.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Taos County's rate and the state average is 19.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Otero County, at 18.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 7.3). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Torrance County (102.3), Socorro County (75.2), Cibola County (56.0), Lincoln County (49.9), Sierra County (43.5), McKinley County (42.2), Colfax County (40.8), Luna County (39.5), Rio Arriba County (37.6), San Miguel County (33.7), Eddy County (29.9), Grant County (25.5), Lea County (25.0), Otero County (18.9).
Taos County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
12 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 68% of 2,328 rated counties
rated U.S. counties, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NHTSA FARS over U.S. Census Bureau population estimates · 2026-09-03
More road safety data related to Taos County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Taos County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- New Mexico statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NM
- State fatality changesYear-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. countiesAlphabetical county index
- All state profiles51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparisonRoute-level lookup tool
- National statistics downloadFARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality dataMethodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road riskRate denominator explained
- Counties starting with TLetter index including NM counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Taos County, New Mexico?
Taos County recorded 71 total traffic fatalities across 66 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 4 fatalities. The county averages approximately 7.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Taos County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (66 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Taos County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for New Mexico may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Taos County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Taos County is increasing. This indicates that traffic fatalities have risen over the data period, warranting attention to road safety initiatives.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Taos County?
Taos County has a fatality rate of 11.6 per 100,000 residents, which places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Taos County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Taos County ranks #1,586 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #21 of 24 rated counties in NM, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Taos County compare to the rest of New Mexico?
Taos County's per-capita rate of 11.6 per 100,000 residents is below the New Mexico county average of 31.4. Visit the New Mexico state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Taos County come from?
All road fatality data comes from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes on public roads in the United States. FARS data covers the period 2016-2023 and includes all crashes resulting in at least one fatality within 30 days.