Why is Phoenix #1 in traffic deaths compared to other large cities?

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Ever get nervous driving in Phoenix? The city has the highest rate of deadly crashes and pedestrian deaths among the biggest cities in the country, even higher than Los Angeles and Dallas.

“His name was Mario, he was 22 years old,” Maria Jerez said of her nephew. “He was, he was amazing. He was so funny. He was such a caring person,” Jerez said. “All I know is that my nephew got hit. He got left on the side of the road for somebody else to find. The driver never stopped, never called.”

Mario Aguirre had recently graduated college and had plans to become a police officer. He was riding his motorcycle to his girlfriend’s house in west Phoenix when a driver struck him.

“The thing that stays with you is if he had just called, would he still be alive today? Maybe something would have played out differently,” Jerez lamented.

Crashes are so common that it’s easy to forget those involved, whose lives can change forever.

The Arizona Department of Transportation says 307 people were killed in traffic accidents in Phoenix in 2023. Data shows speeding played a role in more than 20% of all crashes.

It’s a big contrast to neighboring cities like Mesa, which reported 54 deaths; Glendale had 40; and Scottsdale had 17.

As numbers continue to rise, one question remains: Why is Phoenix facing such a dire situation?

“We see a lot more road rage, a lot more impatience on the road, we see a lot more speeding, and I think that’s something we need to combat,” said Jorge Riveros, one of the leaders with the city’s Street Transportation Department. “We’re looking at a mix of education and enforcement. We really need enforcement to be part of the equation when we look at safety.”

Riveros says the city identifies high-injury intersections and stretches of road and then examines those locations more closely.

“More and more people are driving distracted, exceeding the speed limit, driving while they’re impaired,” Phoenix Police Lt. Justin Wood said. “Traffic enforcement is a way to stop a crime before it happens,” he continued.

With 17 years on the traffic unit, Lt. Wood says our main roads facilitate speed.

Arizona’s Family Investigates caught up with him at a high-injury intersection: 59th Ave. at Indian School Road.

“A lot of them tend to be wider, more lanes, people feel with more open space they can drive faster,” he said.

The speed limit at the intersection is 40 mph, but officers clocked drivers going 55 and 58 mph within minutes.

Could an officer shortage be part of the blame?

Lt. Wood said when he started with the unit, 154 officers were dedicated to traffic enforcement; it’s now down to 30. He says drivers have noticed and are taking full advantage.

“They realize most officers are doing the patrol function and traffic enforcement has kind of fallen by the wayside,” Lt. Wood said.

It also affects how many officers investigate hit-and-runs like the one that killed Mario. Almost two years later, there’s no arrest.

In 2022, Phoenix adopted Vision Zero, which pledges money and resources to end traffic deaths.

While the number of crashes resulting in serious injuries is down, deadly collisions have been on an upward trend since 2015.

“We have a distinction; we’re trying to get away from that,” Riveros said.

Arizona’s Family Investigates has found the city is missing several goals, including reducing the number of nighttime crashes and those involving pedestrians.

None of it is surprising for Mario’s family.

“It’s not fair that more families have to be grieving before something happens,” Jerez said.

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