With enough coordination, education, planning and proactivity, New Mexico can eliminate traffic deaths and no longer rank as the deadliest state for pedestrians, a state transportation official told lawmakers Thursday.
Amy Whitfield, who is spearheading the New Mexico Transportation Department’s “Target Zero” initiative, laid out the many factors contributing to the state’s place atop the list of deadliest states for pedestrians, an unwanted designation it’s had for years.
“We do not believe that any traffic fatality is acceptable in our nation. And it’s not just a phrase. It’s not just a goal. It is something that we can do,” Whitfield told lawmakers on the interim Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee. “We can reach this goal. We can get to zero traffic fatalities.”…