Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is participating in Operation Safe Driver this week (Oct. 17 to 23) by focusing on aggressive driving by both commercial drivers and the drivers of passenger vehicles.

Many Phoenix car accidents and trucking accidents in Arizona are caused by some form of aggressive driving, including speeding.

As we reported recently on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, 806 motorists were killed and more than 50,000 injured in Arizona traffic accidents last year. Arizona trucking accidents killed 99 motorists in 2008.

Aggressive driving is a significant threat to motorists on the road. While many drivers associate aggressive driving with road rage, they are not the same thing. Road rage is a criminal offense, aggressive driving is a much broader category of driving behaviors that includes speeding, failure to pay attention while driving, tailgating, making frequent lane changes, running read lights, inappropriate passing, cutting drivers off in traffic and not using your turn signals.

Those who are prone to driving aggressively should slow down, plan ahead and allow extra time to reach their destination, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

When confronted by an aggressive driver, a motorist should move out of the way, avoid eye contact and should not respond to gestures. Dangerous drivers should also be reported to police.

Arizona safety officials hope to combat the dangers of aggressive driving and other poor driving decisions on a number of fronts. The Department of Public Safety's objectives this week include:

-Increased traffic and safety belt enforcement.

-More roadside inspections of commercial vehicles.

-Increase education among drivers, especially teen drivers, of the dangers of driving around large trucks and buses.

-Promote awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

-Implement education and awareness programs for commercial drivers.

Continue reading "Safety authorities to combat aggressive driving in effort to reduce Phoenix car accidents, Arizona trucking accidents" »

A total of 29,282 Phoenix car accidents claimed 142 lives and injured 9,714 in 2009, according to statistics being released by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Maricopa County car accidents accounted for $1.4 billion in losses, or more than half of the $2.7 billion traffic accidents cost Arizona statewide in 2009. More than half of all Arizona drunk driving accidents also occurred in Maricopa County, accounting for 3,601 of the state's 5,854 traffic crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently reported the fewest traffic accidents since 1950. A total of 33,808 motorists were killed on the nation's roads in 2009, compared to the 37,423 deaths reported in 2008.
Arizona car accidents by county:

Maricopa: 68,653 accidents/280 fatalities/21,410 injuries
Pima: 15,669 accidents/83 fatalities/5,292 injuries
Coconino: 3,768 accidents/39 fatalities/903 injuries
Pinal: 3,541 accidents/62 fatalities/1,079 injuries
Yavapai: 3,313 accidents/42 fatalities/1,003 injuries
Yuma: 2,825 accidents/24 fatalities/968 injuries
Mohave: 2,940 accidents/34 fatalities/974 injuries
Cochise: 1,876 accidents/30 fatalities/486 injuries
Navajo: 1,241 accidents/38 fatalities/360 injuries
Gila: 984 accidents/17fatalities/303 injuries
Apache: 591 accidents/29 fatalities/203 injuries
Santa Cruz: 591 accidents/6 fatalities/149 injuries
La Paz: 421 accidents/15 fatalities/131 injuries
Graham: 287 accidents/8 fatalities/ 94 injuries
Greenlee: 67 accidents/2 fatalities/25 injuries

Arizona pickup truck accidents accounted for nearly 20 percent of all Arizona accidents.

Crashes by vehicle type
Cars: 98,888
Pickup Trucks: 38,674
Station Wagons: 35,990
Tractor-Trailer Accidents: 2,457
Concrete Mixers: 31
Dump Truck Accidents: 164
Garbage Truck Accidents: 121
Tanker Truck Accidents: 42
Tow Truck Accidents: 143
School Bus Accidents: 238
Commercial Bus Accidents: 1,086
Motorcycle Accidents: 3,029
ATV Accidents: 169
Moped Accidents: 21
RV Accidents: 153

Top 5 Most Common Causes of Accidents (non-alcohol):
Speed too fast for conditions: 33,845
Failure to Yield Right of Way: 18,531
Inattention/Distraction: 11,117
Following too Closely: 5,502
Unsafe Lane Change: 5,557

Continue reading "More than half of all Arizona drunk driving accidents involve car accidents in Phoenix" »

AZCentral.com is reporting that a Phoenix car vs. truck accident shut down Interstate 10 Westbound for around four hours on Thursday morning. The closure was from 75th from 83rd. The accident reportedly involved a Mercedes that crashed into a semi truck at a high rate of speed.

The Phoenix accident took place around 6:45 a.m. and witnesses have told DPS officers that the Mercedes was traveling around 100 mph. The car was carrying two passengers and a driver.

The driver of the Mercedes lost control at some point near 75th. The vehicle then ran off the road into a dirt median, then drove back on the interstate, striking a semi-truck. The semi then lost control and left the roadway, stopping in the median.

A female passenger and the driver of the Mercedes were injured in the accident and taken by ambulance to area hospitals. It has not yet been reported if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.

The interstate was shut down after the crash for westbound traffic, causing heavy traffic.

Click here to read the story as reported by AZFamily.com.

Five people were hurt in an Arizona truck accident on Interstate 8 west of Gila Bend, AZ Family reported.

The accident reportedly involved at least two semis and closed eastbound I-8 between Citrus Valley and Route 85. The semis apparently collided and burst into flames -- a passenger vehicle was also involved. Four people were airlifted to area hospitals while a fifth victim was taken by ambulance.

ABC 15 reported that the road was blocked for hours as crews worked to clear the wreckage. Cause of the trucking accident remains under investigation.

Arizona accidents involving semis and other large commercial trucks typically result in very serious or fatal injuries to motorists. In 2008, a total of 103 people were killed and 1,563 people were injured in accidents involving semis, tractor trailers or other large commercial trucks, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Earlier this year, the Arizona Republic reported that the Arizona Highway Patrol's Department of Public Safety unit would no longer make "administrative stops" on large trucks.

The stops are aimed at ensuring the safety of the motoring public by stopping trucks to check for safety violations and review compliance with driving hours, log books and other safety regulations.

Nationwide, an average of 5,000 motorists a year are killed in accidents with large trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The change in Arizona enforcement is meant to allow authorities to concentrate manpower on trucks that are overtly violating the law, rather than stopping trucks that are committing no apparent violation.

"Here's what I told our officers: if you have a vehicle that goes by with a poor safety rating, but they're not currently committing a traffic violation or any other obvious violation of regulations, then let's go find one that is," said Lt. Col. Jack Hegarty. "There's no shortage of commercial vehicles that have bad ratings and they're committing traffic violations."

Safety advocates aren't buying it.

"The bad actors will start running footloose and fancy free," said Gerald Donaldson, of the Associates for Highway and Auto Safety.