PORTLAND – Fatal highway crashes in Maine are the least likely of any state to involve drivers with suspended licenses.

A national safety study found that just 6.1 percent of Maine drivers involved in fatal accidents between 1993 and 1999 lacked a valid license, compared to a national average of 20 percent. New Mexico had the highest percentage at 23.1 percent.

The study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that people who have lost their licenses – many of them after being convicted of drunken driving – are much more prone to be involved in a fatal accident. The report recommends that states take strong measures to keep suspended drivers off the road, including seizing vehicles of repeat offenders.

But Stephanie Faul, a spokeswoman for the foundation, says Maine seems to have fewer problems than other states.

“It’s a very positive thing, obviously, to have a low rate of these crashes,” Faul said. “It does suggest people are thinking somewhat about their driving behavior.”

Maine ranked sixth-lowest in frequency of fatal crashes from 1993 to 1999, and that relatively low number can make statistical analysis difficult, Faul says.

But the numbers also could reflect heightened police enforcement, she says, and in fact many departments say illegal drivers are a priority. That can lead suspended drivers to be more cautious for fear of being pulled over, she says.

Maine also has a relatively low crime rate, so for many officers in small towns traffic enforcement is a higher priority than it might be in some urban areas of the country.

The study does not suggest that Maine has a lower-than-average percentage of drivers whose license has been suspended or revoked. It looked only at those involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents.