PHOENIX — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
released early numbers of traffic deaths for the first
quarter of 2012 and they aren’t good.

The agency estimated that deaths increased by 13.5 percent during
that period.

In Arizona, there is an upward trend in the number of
fatal vehicle accidents. Alberto Gutier,
spokesman with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
said that the
number of fatalities is up from last year.

“So far this year,
432 people have died in car crashes in the first quarter.
That’s up by 60 over the same time period last year,” said Gutier.

To download the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic
Fatalities for the First Quarter 2012, click here.