Last month, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) issued its annual report on Arizona motor vehicle crash statistics. These reports provide a complete review of the 120,000+ car crashes that happen each year in Arizona by breaking them down by contributing factors, severity, location, type, and time of day. The full 2018 Crash Facts report is available on the ADOT’s website. (CLICK HERE). As Arizona Injury Lawyers, we always find these reports intriguing, as they are extremely informative regarding the improvements as well as the continuing problems areas for Arizona drivers. For the benefit of our readers, here are Torgenson Law’s four biggest takeaways from the 2018 Arizona Crash Facts Report.
1. ALCOHOL RELATED CRASHES ON THE DECLINE
Likely the most positive takeaway from the 2018 report is that Arizona’s alcohol
related crashes continues the decreasing trend of the past several years. In fact,
there were 5% fewer alcohol related crashes in 2018 than there were in 2017. Of
course the lower number of alcohol related crashes also correlates with fewer
injuries and deaths related to these types of crashes. One contributing factor is
almost certainly the continued widespread use of rideshare services like Uber and
Lyft. The availability of these “designated drivers” allows individuals to make safer
decisions.
2. MORE DRIVERS DOES NOT MEAN MORE CRASHES
As you may know, Maricopa County is one of the fastest growing counties in the
country. In 2018, there were 5,308,307 licensed drivers in Arizona—nearly 87,000
more licensed drivers than 2017 and more than 173,000 licensed drivers in 2016.
Nonetheless, there were actually fewer car crashes in 2018 than there were in 2016
and 2017.
3. SEATBELTS SAVE LIVES
This is no secret, but seatbelts truly can be the difference between life and death. Of
the 1,010 fatalities on Arizona roadways in 2018, more than a quarter involved
individuals who were not wearing their seatbelts. There is simply no excuse not to
wear one at all times.
4. STAY ALERT ON CITY STREETS AND RESIDENTIAL ROADS
Car crashes on city streets, county roads, and residential areas account for than 68%
of all Arizona vehicle collisions. One might believe that lower speeds would promote
fewer crashes. However, other factors such as traffic lights, stop signs, pedestrians, and bicyclists are additional factors that drivers must be wary of that do not typically come into play on the high-speed state highway system.
At Torgenson Law, we know that each car crash is much more than just a statistic,
and can truly derail the life of an individual. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in
a motor vehicle collision, do not hesitate to call you Arizona Injury Lawyers at (602)
759-0012.
