Vehicle accidents can affect any resident in Arizona. These incidents are often caused by the careless or negligent actions of other drivers, and they can lead to significant injuries and extensive property damage. Here, we want to review some of the current Arizona car accident stats and trends.
Overall Vehicle Accident Data Trends
When we examine information available from the Arizona Department of Transportation, we can see that the latest reporting year on file was 2021. During that year, there were more than 121,000 total vehicle accidents recorded across Arizona.
Out of these incidents, there were 1,180 total fatalities and more than 51,000 injuries. Not all of these injuries were classified as severe. There were:
- 3,819 suspected serious injuries
- 21,416 suspected minor injuries
- 36,398 possible injuries
If we want to compare this data to the previous year, we can see that this was a significant increase in the total number of vehicle accidents. In fact, from 2020 to 2021, there was a 22% increase in the total number of crashes. Additionally, from 2020 to 2021, there was nearly a 12% increase in the total number of fatalities and a 24% increase in the total number of injuries.
When we look at the causes of accidents, including alcohol-related injuries and fatalities, we can see that these also increased by a significant number from 2020 to 2021.
This data does come with a caveat – 2020 was the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time frame when there were significant lockdown periods and fewer individuals on the roadway, at least for a few months. These lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic likely contributed to fewer vehicle accidents as well as injuries and fatalities than there otherwise would have been.
More Data Related to Arizona Vehicle Accidents
Each day in 2021, approximately 3.23 individuals lost their lives as a result of vehicle accidents. Additionally, around 141 individuals sustained car accident injuries every day.
Each year, alcohol-related collisions result in a significant number of traffic fatalities. In 2021, alcohol-related collisions accounted for 4.63% of all vehicle crashes, but they led to 20.23% of fatal crashes. This data is alarming and shows us just how dangerous impaired driving really is.
Further examining data, we can see that there tend to be more injury and fatal collisions in urban areas than in rural areas throughout the state.
Examining Other Types of Collisions
Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists are also trending upward. During the latest reporting year on file in Arizona, there were 1,714 total pedestrian accident collisions, and these incidents led to 257 fatalities and 1,535 total injuries.
There were 1,027 total bicycle collisions that same year, and these incidents led to 45 fatalities and 1,005 collisions.
Finally, there were 2,594 total motorcycle collisions that same year, and this led to 160 fatalities and 2,206 injuries.
Working With an Attorney
If you or somebody you care about has been injured due to the careless or negligent actions of another driver in the state of Arizona, we encourage you to reach out to an attorney immediately. A lawyer can help you determine the best steps forward for your claim and help you recover compensation for your losses.