Traffic fatalities in Arizona decreased slightly in 2023 but are still near all-time highs, state transportation officials said.

There were 1,307 traffic fatalities across the state last year, a decrease of 0.98% compared to 2022, according to the 2023 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report released by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Figures show crashes associated with alcohol impairment and inappropriate speed or speeding continue to be leading causes of deaths and injuries, the report showed.

The state’s annual review of motor vehicle crashes takes in all roads, including local streets.

Fewer pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities occurred in 2023.

Pedestrian fatalities fell by 12.3%. Bicyclist fatalities were 10.2% lower than in 2022, officials said.

Still, the 1,307 traffic fatalities in 2023 is the second-highest annual fatality total ever recorded in Arizona and only slightly behind the 1,320 deaths recorded in 2022, according to statistics.

ADOT produces the annual Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report, which is a compilation of traffic crash reports provided by law enforcement agencies around the state. The document reflects reported crash data for all Arizona roads, including city streets, county roads, reservation roads and state highways.

While the number of traffic fatalities were down by about 1% in 2023 compared to 2022, the total number of crashes on all of Arizona’s roadways was up 1.6%, 122,247 in 2023 compared to 120,356 in 2022, authorities said.

“Every fatality represents someone’s loved one,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said.

“We need everyone using the roads to work together to reduce these preventable crashes, and we’re working with partners around the state on safety strategies to help meet ADOT’s vision of safely connecting people.”

Alcohol-related fatalities have increased in each of the past four years. The 332 killed in alcohol-related crashes represent 25.4% of all traffic fatalities.

Other findings:

• There were 258 motorcyclist fatalities in crashes during 2023, which is the highest figure in at least 20 years and an 11.2% increase from 232 during 2022. There are more motorcyclists than ever on Arizona’s roads. Since 2019, Arizona has seen a 33% increase in motorcycle registrations, going from 209,719 to 279,569.
• Overall, failure to use a safety device, such as a seat belt or helmet, saw fewer fatalities and injuries in 2023 than 2022. In 2023, there were 361 fatalities and 3,239 injuries, while 2022 saw 376 fatalities and 3,301 injuries.
• The report shows that at least 8,657 drivers involved in collisions during 2023 were engaged in “distracted driving behavior” and 62 of these distracted drivers were involved in fatal crashes. These figures are likely undercounts because drivers may not admit they were distracted or because a distracted driver died in a crash, according to ADOT.

The 2023 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report and reports for previous years are available at azdot.gov/CrashFacts.

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