Arizona Traffic Deaths Fell Again in 2024 — But Remain Near Record Highs
By Arizona Injury News Staff
August 22, 2026 — Arizona
Arizona recorded 1,228 traffic deaths in 2024, a 6.12% decrease from 2023 and the second consecutive annual decline, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation's annual Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report. Total crashes fell 1.74% to 121,107 statewide.
The improvement is real — and limited. Even after two down years, fatalities remain near the highest levels Arizona has ever recorded, averaging more than three deaths on the state's roads every day.
What drove the 2024 numbers
Alcohol remained a factor in more than a quarter of fatal crashes. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 27.93% of all fatal crashes; alcohol-related deaths fell slightly, from 358 in 2023 to 347. Nearly 44% of alcohol-related crashes happened on nights and weekends.
Speed was tied to a third of all deaths. Driving too fast for conditions or above the limit was reported in crashes causing 417 deaths and 20,722 injuries — 33.9% of fatalities and 38% of all injuries statewide.
Pedestrian and bicyclist crash counts hit five-year highs. While pedestrian deaths declined year-over-year, total pedestrian crashes rose to 2,079 and bicyclist crashes to 1,379 — the highest counts in the last five years.
Motorcyclist deaths dropped sharply. 219 riders died in 2024, down 16.4% from 262 the year before.
Distraction remains an undercount. At least 8,289 drivers involved in 2024 collisions were engaged in some form of distraction — a figure the report itself treats as understated, since drivers may not admit distraction and some did not survive.
Where the deaths happened
More people died on local roads (775) than on the state highway system (453), and more died in urban areas (781) than rural ones (447) — a reminder that the deadliest driving in Arizona is often the everyday kind, not the interstate kind.
About the data
Figures come from the 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report, published by ADOT in July 2025 and compiled from traffic crash reports submitted by state, county, city, tribal, and other law enforcement agencies. ADOT notes preliminary data is used where necessary, so figures can shift slightly between editions.