ADOT’s yearly Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report shows that 823 people lost their lives in crashes on state and local roadways in Arizona in 2012.

It’s a very slight decrease from the previous year’s number, however the report also reveals that motorcycle-related fatalities actually increased by more than 5 percent from 2011 (139 in 2012 compared to 132 in 2011).

Hopefully these statistics can serve as a reminder to all of us on the importance of safe driving.

Here are some more figures from ADOT's 2012 Arizona Crash Facts report:

• There were 103,176 total crashes recorded in 2012 (down 0.58 percent compared to 103,774 crashes in 2011)
• One person was killed in a motor vehicle-related crash every 10.65 hours
• Crashes with injuries accounted for 32 percent of all crashes, while 67 percent of all crashes were listed as “property damage only”
• Pedestrian fatalities decreased by 14 percent (132 deaths in 2012 compared to 154 in 2011)
• 72.5 percent of all crashes occurred during daylight hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Motor vehicle crashes also created economic losses approaching $3 billion in Arizona last year. Economic losses tied to fatalities, including wage and productivity losses, totaled $1.2 billion, while losses from property damage added up to more than $640 million
• Alcohol-related fatalities decreased by 2 percent (281 deaths in 2012 compared to 287 in 2011)

"These figures should remind all of us to make a pledge to resist distractions and concentrate on safe driving," said ADOT Director John Halikowski. "Public safety agencies met recently to begin updating Arizona's Strategic Highway Safety Plan. One area sure to receive even more attention in the coming year is motorcycle safety. We urge all motorcyclists to seriously consider safety-training courses and remind all drivers to increase their awareness when sharing the road with motorcycle riders."

You can read the entire 2012 Arizona Crash Facts report online

A new annual report shows that the number of fatalities on Arizona’s highways and local roads increased during 2011…

According to ADOT’s most recent “Crash Facts” report, 825 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in the state last year – an 8.7 percent increase from last year’s figure.

That’s certainly not good news, but if there’s something we as drivers can take from those numbers, it should be a better awareness of just how serious it is to be a safe motorist.

“Last year’s figure is a sober reminder for all of us to concentrate on safe driving,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “That means buckling up, maintaining safe speeds, never driving while impaired and, in today’s world, avoiding distracted driving.”

You can read the entire report online, but here are a few stats:

• Fatal Crashes: 825 people were killed in a total of 754 fatal crashes on highways and local streets across Arizona in 2011 (compared to 759 people killed in fatal crashes in 2010).
• Restraint Usage: More than a third of the people killed (292) were not properly restrained. 
• Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes: 236 alcohol-related fatal crashes in 2011 (alcohol-related crashes accounted for 31.30 percent of all fatal crashes.
• Alcohol-Related Fatalities: Increased 3.92 percent (265 deaths compared to 255 in 2010). 
• Rural-Area Fatalities: Increased 14.44 percent (436 deaths compared to 381 in 2010). Rural fatalities had dropped 20 percent in 2010. 
• Urban-Area Fatalities: Increased 2.91 percent (389 deaths compared to 378 in 2010) 
• Single-Vehicle Crashes: Accounted for 40.45 percent of all fatal crashes and 18 percent of all crashes. 
• Most-Common Driver Violation: Speed too fast for conditions. 
• Total Crashes: Decreased 3.16 percent (103,423 crashes compared to 106,795 in 2010) 

While it is way too early to know if the increased number of traffic fatalities represents any sort of a trend, it’s still disheartening to read this report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It states that a statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2012 shows an estimated 7,630 people died in vehicle crashes nationwide. The NHTSA says this is a 13.5 percent increase from the projected fatalities in the first quarter of 2011 (6,720).

However, it is worth mentioning this caveat from the report…

“The historic downward trend in traffic fatalities in the past several years – a pattern which has continued through the early estimates for 2011 released recently that show deaths at a 60-year low – means any comparison will be to an unprecedented low baseline figure.”

These projections from NHTSA, along with the Arizona Crash Facts report, just serve as another reminder that we need to keep safe on the road.

For more information, check out the whole Arizona report on our website.

Even though just one driving-related fatality is too many, Arizona motorists can at least be heartened by a new report showing the number of fatal crashes was on the decline in 2010.

You can take a look at the Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts Report for 2010. It shows that 762 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes on highways and local roads in the state last year. That’s down from 806 fatalities in 2009 and marks a significant reduction since 1,301 people died in crashes in 2006 (the year Arizona recorded its highest-ever number of traffic fatalities).

The statistics also show that 30 percent of the fatal crashes that occurred last year were alcohol-related (210). That number is down from 35 percent the year prior.

Here are some other findings in ADOT’s 2010 Crash Facts report:

• There were a total of 106,177 crashes recorded in Arizona in 2010
• There was a 20 percent drop in crash fatalities in rural areas from 2009 to 2010 (481 dropped to 382 fatalities)
• There was a 17 percent increase in crash fatalities in urban areas from 2009 to 2010 (325 increased to 380 fatalities).
• While crashes in rural areas (21,375) accounted for 20 percent of all crashes, they accounted for 49 percent of fatal crashes (344) in 2010
• 78 percent of all alcohol-related crashes occurred in urban areas. However, 41 percent of fatal alcohol-related crashes occurred in rural areas
• The highest percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes (19 percent) was in the 25-34 age group
• Motor vehicle crashes resulted in $2.668 billion in economic losses to Arizona in 2010
• 73.6 percent of all crashes occurred during daylight hours (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
• October was the peak month for all crashes (9,603 crashes)

ADOT Director John Halikowski says improving highway safety remains a priority for the agency.

“In an age of limited funding, ADOT is committed to improvements and programs that make our highways safer, ranging from signs that are easier to read day and night, new lanes in strategic locations and working hard to keep the snowplows moving when winter storms hit our high country,” Halikowski said.