Car accident statistics for Maricopa County, Arizona (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Maricopa County by year

Car accident deaths in Maricopa County moved from 407 in 2020 to 514 in 2021, then to 550 in 2022, then to 566 in 2023, before falling to 492 in 2024. The highest year in the span was 2023, with 566 car accident deaths, while the lowest was 2020, with 407. Comparing the first and last years of the period, 2024's count of 492 was 85 deaths higher than 2020's count of 407. All traffic deaths followed a similar pattern across the same years, climbing from 492 in 2020 to a high of 680 in 2023 before dropping to 596 in 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Maricopa County car accidents

Of the 2,529 car accident deaths recorded in Maricopa County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans made up 1,343 deaths, or 53.1%, a majority of the total. People in other vehicles accounted for 406 deaths, or 16.1%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping), which covers FARS person types for pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants, accounted for 780 deaths, or 30.8%, of car accident deaths in the county during the period.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Among manner of collision categories for car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 1,218 deaths, or 48.2%, the largest share listed. This category means the crash's first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, covering outcomes such as striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among collisions with another motor vehicle in transport, Angle (side impact) was the largest at 740 deaths (29.3%), followed by Rear-end at 252 (10.0%), Head-on at 201 (7.9%) and Sideswipe at 83 (3.3%). Other and Unknown accounted for 5 and 30 deaths, respectively.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Of car accident deaths in Maricopa County from 2020 through 2024, Nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 1,476 deaths, or 58.4%, a majority of the total, while Daytime hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 1,050 deaths, or 41.5%. By land use, Urban locations accounted for 2,322 deaths, or 91.8%, a majority, compared with 187 deaths, or 7.4%, in Rural locations. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 167, or 6.6% of the county's car accident deaths for the period.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Arizona and the United States

Maricopa County's average annual rate of car accident deaths was 11.1 per 100,000 residents from 2020 through 2024. That rate sits lower than Arizona's statewide rate of 13.1, and higher than the national rate of 10.5. Among the listed neighboring counties, Pima County recorded a rate of 13.6, Pinal County 12.6, Yavapai County 17.9 and Yuma County 10.3, with Maricopa County's 11.1 lower than Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties but higher than Yuma County. This rate reflects average annual deaths per 100,000 residents and does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes

Looking at all fatal crashes in Maricopa County, of any vehicle type, as shares of all traffic deaths from 2020 through 2024, crashes recorded At an intersection accounted for 1,107 deaths, or 36.3%, the largest share among the characteristics listed. Speeding-related crashes accounted for 1,083 deaths (35.5%), Pedestrian involved crashes for 817 (26.8%), Roadway departure for 801 (26.2%) and Motorcycle involved for 623 (20.4%). Hit-and-run crashes accounted for 302 deaths (9.9%), Driver distraction reported for 145 (4.7%) and In a work zone for 85 (2.8%), the smallest share listed. Because a single crash can carry several of these recorded characteristics, the shares overlap and do not add to 100%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.

About these figures

These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways open to the public where a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days of the crash. Deaths are grouped by the county where the crash occurred, not by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may change when NHTSA issues the Final File for that year. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years. FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not reflected anywhere on this page.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Pima County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Pinal County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Yavapai County, Arizona (2020-2024)
• Arizona car accident statistics (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Truck accident statistics for Maricopa County, Arizona (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)