AZ Ranks Eighth in Deadliest States for Young Drivers: A Closer Look at Maricopa

A recent study highlights that Arizona ranks eighth in the nation for fatal crashes involving young drivers, defined as those aged 15 to 20. This alarming statistic prompts a closer look at the state’s road safety trends compared to national data.

In Arizona, there are 55.4 fatal crashes per 100,000 young licensed drivers, significantly above the national average by 39%. With approximately 254,764 young drivers in the state, this issue demands immediate attention.

The study analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revealing that 12.3% of all fatal accidents in Arizona involved young drivers, slightly below the national average of 12.9%. Over a 15-year period, Pinal County saw 112 out of 875 fatal crashes (12.8%) involving young drivers; Maricopa, the city with the second-most fatalities in the county, reported only 3 out of 27 crashes (11.1%).

Maricopa experiences an average of 1.8 fatal crashes annually, not accounting for the hazardous incidents on nearby State Route 347, which are notoriously frequent and often deadly.

Notably, several tragic crashes have gone unreported in Maricopa’s official statistics. For instance, in 2022, an 18-year-old driver collided with a tree near Maricopa High School, resulting in the death of his 13-year-old passenger. Speeding and DUI likely contributed to this tragedy. In another case from 2019, a fatal crash on the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway took the life of a man just days shy of his 19th birthday.

While the Governors Highway Safety Association notes that young drivers are nearly four times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes compared to older drivers, there is a downward trend in these incidents nationally. Deaths among young drivers have decreased by about 45%, contrasting with an 11% rise in fatalities for drivers over 65.

In Arizona, fatal crashes involving drivers under 21 have dropped by 44%, compared to a 27% decrease for those over 65. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recommended several steps for parents to ensure their children’s safety behind the wheel, including:

• Never driving impaired.
• Always wearing seatbelts and ensuring passengers do as well.
• Maintaining focus on driving without distractions.
• Adhering to speed limits.

A spokesperson for the study emphasized the ongoing need for stricter traffic law enforcement, enhanced driver education, improved licensing systems, and robust public safety campaigns to curb these tragedies, which have profound impacts that extend well beyond the accident scene.