2020 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash and Scottsdale Car Accident Statistics
2020 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash and Scottsdale Car Accident Statistics
Every year, the Arizona Department of Transportation prepares a comprehensive report detailing the previous year’s collision statistics. The 2020 car accident statistics were just published. The entire report can be found here: https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/media/2021/07/2020-crash-facts.pdf
Everyone knows that 2020 was a strange year to say the least. In the beginning of the year, the coronavirus pandemic caused many businesses to temporarily close which forced people to stay home. In addition, less people were driving due to travel restrictions and there were also municipal curfews that were set in place. These social and legal influences seemed to have had a profound impact on driving statistics in 2020. Here are some of the important highlights and takeaways that we composed from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2020 crash report.
The Number of Arizona Car Accidents in 2020 Was Less Than the Previous Year
Overall, the total number of car accidents was down approximately 23% from the previous year with 98,778 crashes occurring in 2020. This resulted in a substantial drop in injury crashes and property damage crashes. Unfortunately, despite the lower number of total crashes, the number of fatal crashes was actually higher in 2020 with 970 crashes resulting in death. Out of the total car crashes, 4,506 of them involved alcohol and roughly 86% of them occurred in an urban area. Rear end collisions were the most common type of car accident in our state and made up nearly 40% of all vehicle related crashes.
…the number of fatal crashes was actually higher in 2020 with 970 crashes resulting in death.
More Individuals Were Killed In Arizona Car Accidents in 2020 Than the Previous Year
Sadly, 1,057 people were killed in Arizona car accident in 2020 with a staggering 41,350 individuals injured. As a result of car crashes in 2020, Arizona suffered over $17 Billion in economic loss. This number is inclusive of all fatalities, injuries and property damage costs. In comparison, this number is slightly lower than the previous year where Arizona was estimated to have incurred over $18 Billion in economic loss.
Maricopa Led All Counties for Car Accidents in 2020 and Phoenix Led All Cities
Unsurprisingly, Maricopa County had the most car accidents with 71,611 occurring in 2020. Phoenix was by far the most dangerous city to drive in with 35,274 collisions occurring in 2020. Mesa had the second most collisions in Maricopa County with 5,443 occurring in 2020. Greenlee County recorded the least amount of vehicle crashes with only 69 occurring in 2020. As a result, Greenlee County is the safest county to drive in as there were no recorded vehicle related fatalities in 2020. However, Patagonia is the safest town to drive in where there were no recorded motor vehicle crashes throughout the entire year of 2020. In fact, Patagonia is the only jurisdiction in Arizona with zero vehicle related crash incidents for 2020.
Friday and Saturday Were the Most Dangerous Days To Drive and Produced the Most Car Accidents
Date and time were also huge factors impacting traffic statistics. The most dangerous days of the week were Fridays with 16,826 total crashes and Saturdays with 171 total fatal crashes. Christmas was the deadliest holiday of 2020 with 14 vehicle related fatalities being reported. Work schedules seem to have had an impact on traffic conditions as the most dangerous time to drive was around 4:00 pm with approximately 8,117 crashes occurring around this time.
Men Were Involved in More Arizona Car Accidents than Women
Demographic data showed that male drivers were the most likely to be involved in vehicle crashes with 55% individuals being male. The most common age group to be involved in a traffic collision showed to be the 25-34 age group with 39,525 vehicle crashes. Surprisingly, other than those not old enough to drive, the age groups with the least amount of traffic collisions were ages 16 and 17. However, this could be because of the lower number of overall drivers of this age.
Scottsdale Car Accident and Car Accident Injury Statistics for 2020
There were 2,963 reported car accidents in Scottsdale in 2020. Nineteen of those crashes included a fatality. More than 1/3 of those car accidents caused injuries. There were 1,010 injury-causing car accidents in Scottsdale during 2020. A total of 20 people were killed as a result of a Scottsdale car accident in 2020. Over 1,500 people were injured as a result of a Scottsdale car accident in 2020.
Alcohol was a factor in 197 Scottsdale car accidents in 2020. Three people were killed out of those 197 alcohol-related car accidents. There were 156 people injured in those 197 alcohol-related Scottsdale car accidents.
… Scottsdale car accidents involving alcohol are much more severe and more likely to cause injuries.
Interestingly, the alcohol-related Scottsdale car accidents resulted in an injury more than 3/4 of the time. This is far more than the 1/3 injury rate of all Scottsdale car accidents. In other words, an injury was sustained in approximately 1 of every 3 Scottsdale car accidents. However, an injury was suffered in approximately 3 out of every 4 Scottsdale car accidents when alcohol was involved. This suggests that Scottsdale car accidents involving alcohol are much more severe and more likely to cause injuries.
Unintentional Injuries Like Car Accidents Are a Top Five Leading Cause of Death in the United States
Though these numbers do not account for unreported incidents, they still provide valuable information for the public. Unintentional injuries such as car accidents are consistently a top five leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the majority of Americans, driving on the public roads is the most dangerous activity we do in our daily lives. Fortunately, the Arizona traffic statistics can provide you with the information needed to assess and minimize your risk.
Contact A Scottsdale Car Accident Attorney Today If You Were Injured in a Scottsdale Car Accident
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury, contact Scottsdale Injury Lawyers today. An experienced Scottsdale car accident attorney is available now to discuss your case. A consultation is free. There is no retainer to pay or any up-front costs or fees. We only earn a fee if we recover money for you.
About the author: The content on this page was provided by Scottsdale personal injury attorney and civil rights lawyer Tony Piccuta. Piccuta graduated with honors from Indiana University-Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana (Previously Ranked Top 35 US News & World Report). Piccuta took and passed the State bars of Arizona, California, Illinois and Nevada (all on the first try). He actively practices throughout Arizona and California. He is a trial attorney that regularly handles serious personal injury cases and civil rights lawsuits. He has obtained six and seven figure verdicts in both state and federal court. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers for six years straight. He is a member of the Arizona Association of Justice, Maricopa County Bar Association, Scottsdale Bar Association, American Association for Justice, National Police Accountability Project and Consumer Attorneys of California, among other organizations.
Disclaimer: The information on this web site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information on this page is attorney advertising. Reading and relying upon the content on this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, you should contact our law firm for a free consultation and to discuss your specific case and issues.
References:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
