The Arizona Department of Transportation publishes extensive data related to vehicle accidents that occur throughout the state in any given year. During the most recent reporting year of data available, 2022, we can see that there were nearly 120,000 total vehicle crashes across the state. Here, our team of Phoenix personal injury attorneys further break down this data in the hopes that, with this knowledge, comes an increase in awareness of the potential dangers on the roadway.
Overall Crash Data for Arizona
As we further examine the data provided by the Arizona DOT, we can see that these incidents led to 1,294 fatalities and more than 52,000 injuries. This is a substantial number for both indicators, particularly for a state with our population level.
The DOT does provide information related to the causes of some of these incidents, particularly concerning major safety issues such as alcohol-related driving and speed-related driving.
In 2022, alcohol-related collisions led to 223 fatalities and more than 3,500 injuries. Speed-related collisions resulted in 426 fatalities and more than 20,000 injuries.
Aside from alcohol and speed-related incidents, some of the other major causes of collisions, according to DOT data, include the following:
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Following others too closely
- Disregarding traffic signals or signs
- Improper turns
- Unsafe lane change
- Failing to stay in the proper lane
State data also provides the following information related to when collisions occur most often:
- Peak month for collisions: March
- Peak day for collisions: Friday
- Peak hour for collisions: 3 PM – 4 PM
Incidents Involving Non-Vehicles
During the same reporting year mentioned above, there were a significant number of pedestrian and bicycle accidents. In 2022, there were 1,888 pedestrian collisions that resulted in 302 fatalities and more than 1,600 injuries. During that same year, there were 1,159 bicycle collisions that resulted in 48 fatalities and more than 1,100 injuries.
Motorcycle Collisions
2022 saw 2,911 motorcycle collisions. Unfortunately, these incidents resulted in 228 fatalities and more than 2,400 injuries. The data also indicates that the vast majority of fatal and injury motorcycle collisions that year occurred in urban areas of Arizona as opposed to more rural areas.
Commercial Truck and Bus Collisions
DOT data shows that there were 15,481 total collisions involving commercial trucks and buses. Of these incidents, there were 27 fatalities and more than 1,700 injuries.
Property Damage Only Collisions
The vast majority of collisions that occur in the state of Arizona are considered property damage only. In 2022, there were nearly 83,000 property damage-only collisions recorded and reported to the state DOT. Property damage-only collisions can include collisions that affect only vehicles, but they can also include damage to other property, such as homes, buildings, or other structures impacted by a collision.
Contact an Attorney After a Crash
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a traffic collision caused by the negligent actions of another driver, reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. A skilled Phoenix car accident lawyer can walk you through the entire claims process. They will handle the process of gathering evidence, negotiating with insurance carriers, and even filing a personal injury lawsuit in civil court if one becomes necessary.