Traffic fatalities on Arizona roads decline for third year in a row

PHOENIX – Traffic fatalities in Arizona decreased for the third straight year in 2025. 

There were 1,156 traffic fatalities on all Arizona roads in 2025, which is a 5.2% decrease in fatalities from 2024. The total number of crashes also dropped, falling from 123,535 in 2024 to 118,052 in 2025 — a 4.4% decrease.

Despite a trend in fewer fatalities and crashes, those numbers remain near all-time highs. 

“Fewer fatalities on Arizona’s roadways is a move in the right direction, but even one death is one too many,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said. “We work to build and maintain highway infrastructure to safely connect Arizonans, but we can’t reduce crashes and fatalities alone. Crash data shows that decisions drivers make are the leading factors in crashes; we need everyone to make smarter decisions behind the wheel so we all safely arrive at our destinations.” 

Each year, ADOT compiles statewide crash data that is collected from crash reports provided by law enforcement agencies statewide. This reflects crash data for all Arizona roadways, including city streets, county roads, tribal roads and state highways. 

Crashes and fatalities are driven by driver behavior, with leading factors involving speed, impairment and failure to use a safety device (such as a seat belt or helmet), according to the data: 

• Speeding was a factor in 367 fatalities.
• Alcohol impairment was a factor in 334 fatalities.
• 320 of the fatalities were motorists not using a safety device.

There were fewer alcohol-related crashes in 2025 compared to 2024, but the data showed crashes that involved alcohol impairment and speeding remain a leading cause of injuries and death. 

“The continued decline in traffic fatalities across Arizona is a powerful sign of what is possible when we remain focused and work together,” said Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. “We are seeing remarkable progress on the highways we patrol, and through Arrive Alive Arizona, we are building on that momentum by combining high-visibility enforcement, public education, strategic partnerships, and safety technology to reduce fatal and serious-injury collisions. In partnership with ADOT, we remain committed to saving lives and doing our part to make Arizona’s roads safer.”

Alcohol-related crashes account for 28% of all fatal crashes. But alcohol-related fatalities dipped from 376 in 2024 to 334 in 2025, an 11.2% decrease, and accounted for 28.9% of all traffic fatalities. 

Male drivers were involved in 72.9% of alcohol-related crashes. Drivers ages 25-34 were the age group most likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash, accounting for 31.7% of drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes. In 2025, 2,397 alcohol-related crashes occurred on nights and weekends, which accounted for 43.57% of the total alcohol-related crashes. 

“A downward trend in crashes and fatalities is encouraging, but even one death on an Arizona road is too many. The data is clear: speeding, alcohol, and unbuckled seatbelts remain top contributors to fatal collisions across our state. GOHS will continue providing local law enforcement and community partners with the tools, technology, and funding needed to curb risky driving behaviors and protect every traveler on Arizona roadways,” Jesse Torrez, Director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said.

Among factors cited, speeding too fast for conditions or exceeding the lawful speed limit was involved in crashes that led to 367 fatalities and 19,831 injuries, which accounted for 31.8% of all traffic fatalities and 36.3% of all injuries.  

Fewer pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in 2025 than in 2024. There were 1,999 pedestrian crashes in 2025, fewer than in 2024, but there were 1,640 bicyclist crashes in 2025, up from the year before.

There were more fatalities on local roads (709) than there were on the state highway system (447) and there were more traffic fatalities in urban areas (685) than in rural areas (471). 

• There were 194 motorcyclist fatalities from crashes in 2025, which is an 11% decrease from 218 fatalities in 2024. 
• Fatalities and injuries due to failure to use a safety device, such as a helmet or a seatbelt, were down from from 2024 to 2025. In 2024, there were 347 fatalities and 3,165 injuries and in 2025 there were 320 fatalities and 2,807 injuries in 2025. 
• There were at least 8,151 drivers involved in collisions in 2025 who were engaged in some type of distracted driving behavior. These numbers are likely an undercount because drivers may not admit they were distracted or a distracted driver died in a crash.