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Arizona Car Accident Statistics

By Karnas Law Firm |

In a recent report, the Arizona Department of Transportation estimated that there were 98,778 car accidents in the state in 2020 alone. Around 28,610 of these crashes resulted in injury and 970 proved to be fatal to one or more of the parties involved. Having a thorough understanding of these statistics can go a long way towards keeping Arizona drivers safe. To learn more, read on or set up a meeting with one of our dedicated Tucson car accident lawyers by phone or online message. 

Car Accident-Related Injury Rates 

Approximately 41,350 people were injured in car crashes in Arizona in 2020. This breaks down to 113 people being injured every day, or one person every 12 minutes and 45 seconds. An estimated 1,057 of those injuries were so severe that they resulted in the death of an occupant. Of the many types of car accidents, rear-end collisions were the most common in Arizona (31,868). These kinds of accidents, besides causing a lot of property damage, also involved an injury in nearly 40 percent of cases. 

Accident Causes 

Of the nearly 100,000 car accidents that occurred in Arizona in 2020, the majority involved a collision with another vehicle (71,602), while 12,321 involved a collision with a fixed object, and 5,894 involved colliding with a non-fixed object, like a parked vehicle or work zone equipment. Most of these crashes were attributed to some form of driver error, such as:

  • Speeding too fast for the conditions, which contributed to 28,982 crashes and 15,839 injuries;
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way, which contributed to 16,621 accidents;
  • Making unsafe lane changes, which contributed to 6,515 collisions;
  • Following another car too closely, which contributed to at least 5,599 crashes; 
  • Failing to stay in the proper lane, which contributed to 5,289 accidents; 
  • Disregarding traffic signals, which contributed to 4,801 crashes; and
  • Consuming an intoxicant prior to driving, which was responsible for 4,506 accidents and nearly 17 percent of fatal crashes. 

The majority of car accidents, approximately 72.5 percent, took place in Maricopa County, making it especially important for residents of Phoenix and other cities in the area to remain vigilant when on the road.

Dangerous Times to Travel 

In 2020, most car accidents in Arizona took place in January, while Fridays throughout the year proved to be the day on which a person was most likely to be involved in a car crash. The peak hours for all car accidents were between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Many people are surprised to learn that the majority of accidents, more than 70 percent, occurred during daylight hours (i.e. before 6:00 p.m.) when the skies were clear. Furthermore, most accidents took place on straight roads that were level and dry. The fact that conditions played such an unimportant role in most accidents, reiterates the crucial part that driver error and negligence have in causing the majority of car accidents in Arizona. 

Set Up a Free Consultation Today 

If you were hurt in a car accident in Arizona, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses. Call (520) 389-5225 to speak with the dedicated Tucson car accident lawyers at Karnas Law Firm, PLLC about your case. 

Posted in Car accident and tagged Arizona, Car Accident, Statistics