Arizona has some of the worst traffic safety laws in nation, report finds

PHOENIX — Arizona’s traffic safety laws are among some of the worst in the nation, according to a new report.

The report from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety found that Arizona ranked among the lowest 13 states in the nation due to its lack of adequate safety laws.

Arizona was given a “red” rating, which indicates that it is “dangerously behind in the adoption of Advocates’ optimal laws.”

Those optimal laws include 16 “fundamental” traffic safety laws that “encourage the use of seat belts, motorcycle helmets, and child safety seats” and “provide safeguards for teen drivers and prevent distracted and impaired driving.”

Arizona was one of the states that had fewer than seven laws “without both primary enforcement front and rear seat belt laws.”

The state only had four laws, the report found. Those laws were an open container ban, ignition interlocks for drunk drivers, child-endangerment penalties for drunk drivers with minors and a six-month phase-in for teen drivers.

Arizona is missing laws to enforce seat belt wear, helmet wear for all passengers on a motorcycle, rear-facing car seats for children age 2 and under, a minimum age limit of 16 to obtain a learner’s permit, supervised driving requirement, nighttime and passenger restrictions for teen drivers and a texting-while-driving ban.

The report also found that there were 962 fatalities from traffic accidents in Arizona in 2016, with 8,697 fatalities occurring over the last 10 years. These crashes cost the state $4.183 billion each year.

Other states that received the “red” ranking included South Dakota, Wyoming, Missouri, Montana, Florida, Nebraska, Virginia, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio and Vermont.

But Alberto Gutier with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said the study is not accurate because it only focuses on seat belt and safety laws when it should be looking at more important regulations.

“We have the strongest laws in the country on drunk driving. We have great laws when it comes to…speeding and reckless driving,” he said.

Gutier said Arizona has tried to enforce primary seat belt laws, but law enforcement officials only cite someone who isn’t wearing a seat belt when it comes to traffic stop violations.

KTAR News’ Nailea Leon contributed to this report.

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