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Driving Safety Home: Taking responsibility behind the wheel

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ADOT recently published the latest Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report and I’m happy to say that there’s some good news in there — Traffic crash fatalities on Arizona roadways in 2019 fell to their lowest total in three years.

The report also tallied fewer pedestrian fatalities, alcohol-related fatalities, fatalities of those not wearing seat belts and distracted drivers involved in crashes compared to the previous year.

While this is great to see, we know there’s still more that needs to be done when it comes to safer roads. The number one thing that all drivers can do is to make better choices behind the wheel.

We know that driver behavior is a factor in more than 90% of collisions.

According to the Crash Facts report, at least 10,491 drivers involved in collisions during 2019 engaged in “distracted driving behavior.” That’s an 11.8% decrease from 2018, but still too high a number.

There were quite a few takeaways(link is external) from the 2019 report. The most important thing I think we can learn from the data is that we all have a responsibility as drivers. We need to reflect on our driving habits and make improvements.

Be sure to visit ADOT’s Focus on Driving website for safe-driving tips and be sure to share what you learn with your family and loved ones.

Dallas Hammit is state engineer, deputy director for transportation at Arizona Department of Transporation. Visit azdot.gov.