Total traffic accidents increased slightly and traffic fatalities remained the same in Peoria during the past two years, but alcohol-related crashes increased, according to a new study.
Total traffic accidents increased slightly and traffic fatalities remained the same in Peoria during the past two years, but alcohol-related crashes increased, according to the 2023 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report recently released by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
There were 3,030 total crashes in 2023 and 2,962 in 2022. During the two years, the fatalities stayed constant at 17 each year. However, the annual report stated alcohol-related crashes in Peoria went up about 17% over the past two years, from 133 in 2022 to 156 in 2023.
Six people were killed in 2023 because of alcohol-related crashes, and four people were killed in 2022 because of alcohol-related crashes.
Police Chief Thomas Intrieri said accidents have declined since then.
Traffic safety is important to the Peoria community, as the police department wants to keep everyone safe, he said.
“We will continue to educate our citizens and enforce traffic laws throughout our city,” he said. “Since May 2024, when we implemented our ‘Drive Responsibly’ safe driving campaign, we have seen a reduction in traffic-related collisions. Remember, slow down, take your time, and plan accordingly. It’s always better to get to your destination late than never at all.”
Traffic fatalities throughout 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 with 2022, according to the report.
Figures show crashes associated with alcohol impairment and inappropriate speed or speeding continue to be leading causes of deaths and injuries, the report stated.
The state’s annual review of motor vehicle crashes takes in all roads, including local streets.
Fewer pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities occurred during 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.
The report 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 about 1% in 2023 compared with 2022, the total number of crashes on all Arizona’s roadways was up 1.6%, 122,247 in 2023 compared with 120,356 in 2022, authorities said.
“Every fatality represents someone’s loved one,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said in a news release. “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 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.
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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