Arizona’s wrong-way wreck fatalities are increasing, study finds

PHOENIX – Fatal wrong-way crashes in Arizona are climbing, according to a study, up nearly 66% from the previous period’s report, AAA said.

Researchers for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that Arizona recorded 61 deadly wrong-way crashes from 2015 to 2018. The state had 46 fatal wrong-ways from 2010 to 2014.

The average number of fatalities jumped to 15.3 in 2015-2018 from 9.2 in 2010-2014, according to the report released Tuesday.

“Fatalities from wrong-way crashes are heading in a dangerous direction,” Aldo Vazquez, AAA Arizona spokesperson, said in a press release.

“AAA and the (National Transportation Safety Board) urge state transportation agencies to adopt driver-based countermeasures to combat this deadly trend.”

The study looked at eight factors related to that type of crash nationwide and said alcohol impairment, older drivers driving alone increased the odds of someone being a wrong-way driver.

Six in 10 of the crashes involved someone who had too much to drink and that almost 87% of the crashes involved a lone person in the vehicle.

Drivers over 70 also were a factor, even though they drove less than younger groups, the report said.

The foundation based its findings on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s fatality analysis reporting system.

“Characteristics of wrong-way drivers were compared with ‘right-way’ drivers in the same crash,” AAA said.

Among the measures the safety board and AAA want state lawmakers to adopt is infrastructure countermeasures that include high-visibility enforcement and modifying state laws to help identity medically at-risk drivers.

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