Arizona car accident statistics (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Arizona by year

Car accident deaths increased from 821 in 2020 to 960 in 2021, then reached 1,019 in 2022 and 1,052 in 2023. The count fell to 967 in 2024. The highest annual count was in 2023, and the lowest was in 2020. Comparing the endpoints, 2024 had 146 additional deaths relative to 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Arizona's share of the national car accident death total was 2.5% in 2020, 2.6% in 2021, 2.8% in 2022, 3.0% in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024. For 2020 through 2024, Arizona accounted for 2.7% of the national total of 176,219 deaths. The 2024 count comes from the FARS Annual Report File and remains subject to revision.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in Arizona car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 2,947 deaths, or 61.2% of Arizona's car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 670 deaths, or 13.9%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 1,202 deaths, or 24.9%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Each category counts deaths in fatal crashes involving a passenger vehicle. The categories describe the people who died, rather than separate sets of crashes. The nonoccupant label follows the FARS person-type grouping and is not a literal test of location outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Collision types and setting

Car accident deaths by manner of collision were: Angle (side impact), 1,196; Head-on, 599; Rear-end, 438; Sideswipe, 188; Other, 8; and Unknown, 41. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 2,349 deaths (48.7%). That row means the first harmful event was not between motor vehicles in transport, such as a rollover or fixed-object impact. Vehicles stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime accounted for 2,247 deaths (46.6%); nighttime accounted for 2,567 (53.3%). Urban classifications recorded 3,391 deaths (70.4%), and rural classifications recorded 1,370 (28.4%). Unknown time accounted for 5 deaths (0.1%); unknown land use accounted for 58 (1.2%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most car accident deaths

Maricopa County had the most car accident deaths in the county table, with 2,529, followed by Pima County with 719 and Pinal County with 295. Mohave County recorded 245 deaths, Yavapai County 220, Coconino County 198 and Navajo County 128. The counts describe deaths by crash county during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The remaining listed counts were Yuma County, 109; Cochise County, 106; Apache County, 74; Gila County, 65; La Paz County, 63; Graham County, 34; Santa Cruz County, 29; and Greenlee County, 5. Counts and rates measure different things. Among the listed counties, La Paz County had the highest average annual deaths per 100,000 residents at 76.2, while Yuma County had the lowest at 10.3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How Arizona compares with the national rate

Arizona's car accident death rate was 13.1 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, compared with the national rate of 10.5. The state rate was higher than the national rate. The corresponding death counts were 4,819 for Arizona and 176,219 for the United States; those counts are distinct from the population-based rates.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The calculation divides deaths during the period by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates and multiplies by 100,000. It does not adjust for miles driven or visitors. Arizona's separately reported 2024 population estimate of 7,556,424 is not the rate's denominator. When reading these figures while searching for a car accident lawyer, keep the crash-location counts distinct from the population denominator.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

About these figures

NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes is FARS. For inclusion, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant death occurring within 30 days. Neither nonfatal crashes nor injuries are included. Counts by state and county are based on where the crash occurred, rather than where the deceased person resided.^[8][6][7]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates use deaths divided by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, multiplied by 100,000. They measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator.^[8][6][7]

See also

• FARS Annual Report File and Final File
• Car accident statistics for Maricopa County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Pima County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Pinal County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Mohave County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Yavapai County, Arizona (2020-2024)