DPS launches push to curb ‘preventable’ deaths after 352 killed on Arizona highways last year

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has partnered with the Office of the Governor and the Arizona Department of Transportation to launch “Arrive Alive Arizona,” a five-year safety initiative to reduce fatal crashes.

A total of 352 people died on Arizona’s state highway system in 2025, according to DPS.

A majority of those wrecks were preventable, according Col. Jeffrey Glover, director of DPS.

“Far too many people never make it home. Every day across our state, families receive life-changing phone calls because someone made a split-second decision behind the wheel — a moment of distraction, excessive speed, driving while impaired — a decision that lasted only seconds but changed lives forever,” Glover said during a Monday news conference.

Speaker at safe driving conference shares experience with fatal crashes

Lt. Col. Daven Byrd said he was changed by a fatal crash involving a high school senior nearly 18 years ago.

“I will never forget standing at that scene, feeling the weight of what had happened, and knowing that in just a short time, I would be knocking on her family’s door and telling them their daughter was never coming home,” Byrd said during the news conference.

While the initiative prioritizes education and high-visibility enforcement, Byrd said it’s not about writing tickets; it’s about saving lives.

“Every traffic stop is an opportunity to change behavior before someone is injured. Every citation is an opportunity to stop the next crash from ever happening,” Byrd said.

As part of the campaign, DPS has partnered with Uber and Lyft to offer discounted rides during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The discount code is ArriveAliveAZ250.

DPS said it is also working with the rideshare companies to explore ongoing discounts over the life of the five-year initiative.

Get the latest KTAR News 92.3 FM traffic alerts sent straight to your phone by texting “TRAFFIC” to 620620.

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