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PHOENIX - Data compiled by the federal government reveal the time of day with the most incidents of deadly crash on roads within Maricopa County.
The data, which was obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, breaks down the time when crashes involving fatalities occur.
Here's what to know about the data.
When was the data compiled?
The latest data was gathered from 2021, according to the website.
What do the data show?
According to the data, there were 548 crashes involving fatalities in Maricopa County in 2021, with 596 people killed in those crashes.
The same data also shows there were 1,063 crashes involving fatalities in Arizona for the same year, with 1,180 people killed.
This means that based on the data, approximately 51.55% of deadly crashes and 50.5% of traffic deaths in Arizona happened within Maricopa County for 2021.
How does that compare to recent years?
The same data shows that fatal crashes have been on the rise in Arizona and Maricopa County since 2019, after a drop from 2018 to 2019.
- 2019: 908 in Arizona, 424 in Maricopa County
- 2020: 966 in Arizona, 460 in Maricopa County
When is the deadliest hour on the road in Maricopa County?
Data from 2021 shows the deadliest hour on the roads in Maricopa County is the hour from 8:00 p.m. to 8:59 p.m., with a total of 43 crashes involving fatalities during that hour of the night.
This means that of all the deadly crashes that happened in Maricopa County in 2021, 7.8% of them happened during the 8:00 p.m. hour.
Figures also show that for 2018 and 2019, the deadliest time on the roads in Maricopa County was also the 8:00 p.m. hour. In 2020, the deadliest time on roads in Maricopa County was a tie between the 6:00 p.m. hour and the 9:00 p.m. hour.
What about the rest of Arizona?
Data collected from across Arizona, including from Maricopa County, show that for 2021, the deadliest time on the roads in the state was in between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:59 p.m., with 76 deadly crashes happening within that timeframe during 2021. The 8:00 p.m. hour came in as a close second, with 75 deadly crashes.
This means that of all the deadly crashes that happened in Arizona in 2021, about 7.1% of them happened during the 6:00 p.m. hour.
What are officials saying about the figures?
Arizona Department of Transportation
"ADOT reminds Arizonans regularly that observing the speed limit, practicing patience, avoiding distractions, being sober behind the wheel and using seat belts and other safety devices are the surest ways to reduce injuries and fatalities from motor vehicle crashes," read a portion of a statement we received from ADOT officials.
In the same statement, ADOT officials referred us to law enforcement for perspective on the data released by NHTSA.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
We have reached out to MCSO spokesperson Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez on the findings, and in response, Sgt. Enriquez said their data shows a sharp peak in deadly crashes during rush hour, about 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
"However, majority of the incidents occur at dusk and evening hours in general, with a second longer range peak from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., according to our data," read a portion of Sgt. Enriquez's response to our questions.
Sgt. Enriquez also said that overall, their District 2, which is in Avondale, has the most fatalities.
"However, in terms of proximity of clustered incidents, the East Valley along Apache Trail near S Ellsworth Rd, as well as Highway 85, are more common roadways for fatalities," read a portion of Sgt. Enriquez's response to our questions.
Sgt. Enriquez also listed what the agency is doing to help reduce deadly crashes, as well as crashes in general.
"Sheriff Paul Penzone just reinstated our motor squad that had been gone for more than a decade. Their primary focus will be traffic enforcement in all parts of the county. In addition, we have just added two ghost marked mustangs that will primarily focus on aggressive drivers and speeders. Speed and aggressive driving are a huge contributing factor to serious accidents and fatal collisions," the response read, in part.
What tips should I follow for road safety?
Sgt. Enriquez with MCSO shared the following tips for road safety.
"As with all traffic laws there needs to be a sense of understanding and why they are in place. Traffic laws need to be obeyed and respected. If drivers see a vehicle maneuvering in a reckless manor, local law enforcement needs to be called immediately. Do not drink and drive, be a responsible driver, if you see what appears to be an impaired driver, keep your distance, and call 911. Be patient, give yourself extra time to get to your destination. Cut down on your distractions and don’t text and drive. Don’t drive if you are fatigued, this can be very dangerous if overlooked. Lastly, be aware of your surrounds, this will give you additional reaction time if needed in a situation," Sgt. Enriquez wrote.