Arizona Car Accident Statistics
Arizona Car Accident Statistics: Where the Crash Data Comes From and How to Read It
The main source of Arizona car accident statistics is the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) report titled Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, which summarizes reported crashes by severity, location, and contributing factor. Totals change every year and are revised as data is finalized, so we point you to the source and explain how to read it instead of repeating numbers that could be out of date. The statistics describe patterns across the state, but they cannot tell you who was at fault in your crash.
Reviewed by Charles Paglialunga, Esq.
- Main state source
- ADOT, Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts
- Published as an annual report
- National fatal crash data
- NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
- Tracks fatal crashes nationwide
- Local crash records
- The police agency that wrote the report
- Scottsdale PD, Phoenix PD, Arizona DPS, and others
- What statistics cannot do
- Decide fault or value in your claim
- Your own evidence does that
Arizona Car Accident Statistics: Where the Numbers Come From
When people search for Arizona car accident statistics, they usually want to know how common crashes are, how many are serious, and what causes them. The most complete public source in the state is Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, an annual report from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). It is built from crash reports filed by police agencies across the state, which is why the quality of a police report matters beyond your own claim.
For fatal crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a nationwide census of fatal crashes that lets you compare Arizona with other states. Local police departments, such as Scottsdale PD and Phoenix PD, also keep their own records for streets inside their cities.
We do not quote specific totals on this page. Crash counts are revised after the year ends, and a number copied into a web page can be out of date within a year. If you need a figure for a school project, a news story, or a claim, read it directly from the current edition and note the year.
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What Arizona Crash Facts Reports Cover
The structure of the Arizona crash facts report is as useful as the totals. These are the categories to look for in the current edition.
| Category | What it describes | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Crash severity | Fatal, injury, and property damage only crashes | Shows how many reported crashes involved harm to people, not only vehicles |
| Traffic fatalities | People killed in crashes in the year, by county and road type | The Arizona traffic fatalities figure comes from this section and from NHTSA data |
| Contributing factors | Speed, distracted driving, failure to yield, impairment, and similar causes | Helps explain why crashes happen and which behaviors repeat |
| Impairment | Crashes involving alcohol or drugs | The place to look for Arizona DUI statistics |
| Location | Counts by county, city, and type of roadway | Lets you compare Maricopa County with other counties |
| Time and conditions | Month, day of week, time of day, light and weather conditions | Shows patterns such as monsoon season and weekend nights |
| People involved | Drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists | Shows who is most often hurt |
Source: ADOT, Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts. Check the current edition for the year and exact tables.
How to Read Arizona Crash Statistics Carefully
A statistic can mislead if you read it without its definition. These points keep the numbers in context.
- Reported crashes only
The data reflects crashes that were reported to police. Minor crashes that were never reported, or were settled between drivers, usually do not appear.
- Crashes versus people
One crash can injure several people. A table of crashes and a table of injuries are not the same, so read the column heading.
- Year to year changes
A rise or fall in one year may reflect a change in traffic volume, reporting methods, or definitions, not only a change in driver behavior.
- Rates versus totals
A large county will have larger totals than a small one. Comparing places fairly requires a rate, such as crashes per number of residents or miles driven.
- Definitions change
Terms such as serious injury and distracted driving are defined by the form used to record the crash. Read the notes at the front of the report.
What Crash Statistics Can and Cannot Tell You
Statistics describe groups of crashes. A claim is about one crash.
What statistics can show
- Which roads and times of day see more crashes
- Which behaviors, such as speeding or impaired driving, contribute to serious harm
- How Arizona traffic accidents compare from one year to the next
- Background for a news story, a school project, or a safety conversation
What statistics cannot show
- Who was at fault in your crash
- What your injuries are worth
- Whether you have a valid claim against a specific driver
- How an insurance company will assign a percentage of fault
Arizona Traffic Fatalities and Arizona DUI Statistics
Arizona traffic fatalities are reported both in ADOT’s crash facts and in the NHTSA fatal crash census, and the two sources can differ slightly in definition and timing, which is why it is helpful to name the source whenever you quote a figure. Both track whether alcohol or drugs were involved, and impaired driving is one of the contributing factors the reports follow closely.
If you are searching for Arizona DUI statistics, look in the impairment section of the current crash facts edition, and for arrest and conviction figures, look at the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the courts rather than a crash report. Crash data and arrest data measure different things.
If an impaired driver hurt you, the crash data is background, but the case comes down to your own evidence. Our page on drunk driver accident claims in Scottsdale explains how those claims work, and our guide to Arizona dram shop law explains when a bar or restaurant may share responsibility.
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Car Accidents in Arizona: Where to Look Up Local Crash Records
Statewide numbers do not answer a question about one road. For a specific corner or corridor, ask the agency that polices it for its crash records, and use our local pages for more detail. We are not ranking roads here, and a busy road is not necessarily a dangerous one.
Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard
Major Scottsdale city streets patrolled by Scottsdale PD.
Camelback Road and Indian School Road
Busy Phoenix and Scottsdale corridors where two agencies may have records.
Loop 101 (Pima Freeway)
A state freeway, where Arizona DPS often holds the crash reports.
Interstate 10 through the Valley
A state freeway, where Arizona DPS often holds the crash reports.
How to Look Up Arizona Crash Facts Yourself
You can find the primary sources without a subscription.
- 1
Search for the report by name
Look for ADOT, Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, and choose the most recent complete year.
- 2
Find the section you need
Use the contents to jump to severity, contributing factors, impairment, or county tables.
- 3
Read the definitions first
Notes at the front explain what counts as a crash, an injury, and a contributing factor.
- 4
Compare more than one year
One year can be unusual. Look at several years before you draw a conclusion.
- 5
Cite the source and the year
If you quote a figure, name ADOT or NHTSA and the year, not just the number.
Your Crash Is Not a Statistic
Crash data is useful background, but your claim is built from your own evidence: the police report, photographs, witness names, and medical records. Our guide to getting a police report in Arizona explains how to request yours. Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (A.R.S. 12-542), and insurance companies and attorneys often negotiate the percentage of fault, so do not wait on a national or state trend to tell you what to do. If a public entity such as a city, a county or the state may be responsible, a written notice of claim is due within 180 days (A.R.S. 12-821.01). See our guide to Arizona comparative negligence for how shared fault is handled.
Related pages
Questions
Questions about Arizona car accident statistics
Where can I find official Arizona car accident statistics?
The main state source is the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report. For fatal crashes nationwide, NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System is the standard source. Always note the year when you quote a figure.
Why doesn’t this page list the number of crashes in Arizona?
Crash totals change every year and are revised after the year ends, so a number printed here could be wrong by the time you read it. We would rather point you to the current source and explain how to read it than repeat a number we cannot keep up to date.
What are Arizona crash facts?
Arizona crash facts are the annual summary tables that ADOT publishes about reported crashes in the state, including severity, location, contributing factors, and the people involved.
Where do Arizona traffic fatalities figures come from?
They come from crash reports compiled by ADOT and from NHTSA’s national fatal crash data. The two sources can differ slightly in timing and definition, so name the source you use.
Where can I find Arizona DUI statistics?
Crash involvement figures appear in the impairment tables of the crash facts report. Arrest and conviction figures come from law enforcement agencies and the courts, not from crash reports.
Do crash statistics affect my injury claim?
Not directly. A claim depends on the facts of your crash, such as who was at fault and what your injuries are. Statistics are background, and your own evidence is what counts.
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