A new study by the Advocates of Highway and Auto Safety shows the true costs of car crashes in Arizona.
They estimate crashes cost the state $5.9 billion when accounting for lost workplace productivity, medical costs, property damage, and more.
“For each Arizonian, that counts for up to $817 a year," Cathy Chase, the organization's president, said.
While the cost of cars, hospital trips, and lost wages can be calculated, the value of a human life is priceless. On Arizona roads, there are troubling trends.
“Unfortunately, Arizona’s overall fatality numbers have been going up at a time when nationally the numbers have been decreasing slightly," Chase said.
The last full years of data, 2022 and 2023, have been the two deadliest years on Arizona roads in history with over 2,600 deaths.
Meanwhile, recent government statistics have shown a decrease in traffic deaths.
“Half of all fatalities in the country are people who haven’t buckled up," Chase said.
One of Chase's recommendations in the report is to make not wearing your seat belt a primary traffic violation. Currently, in Arizona, it’s a secondary violation, meaning drivers can only get tickets for not being buckled up if they’ve committed a primary violation like speeding.
“It’s the wrong message to be sending to people in Arizona. It’s saying it’s not that important to wear a seat belt. That you should, but kind of don’t have to,” Chase said.
Other recommendations from the study include implementing a motorcycle helmet law and requiring children to sit in the back seat through age 12.
