An 18-year-old was deprived of making 2020 a success in his second year of adulthood while a baby due to be born in January won’t get any shot at life.
Likely due to speeding on Arizona’s roadways, Phoenix police said.
Last week, 18-year-old Jonathan Alfredo Marroquin was killed when a vehicle struck him at a bus stop near 35th Avenue and Bell Road. He would’ve turned 19 in January. A 15-year-old girl who was 31-weeks pregnant was injured, but her unborn child was pronounced dead. Phoenix police said a 25-year-old driver was speeding and faces charges of manslaughter, endangerment and aggravated assault.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, 938 fatalities have occurred on state roadways in 2019 through Dec. 23. That number discounts Thursday’s collision, but the crash might affirm the thoughts of some people who believe Arizona is among the states with the worst drivers.
That appears to be the case in a study by Car Insurance Comparison, which says Arizona has the third worst drivers in the United States. The report uses data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which estimated that over 8,110 motor vehicle traffic fatalities occurred in the first quarter of 2019.
Estimates for 2019 show the U.S. will exceed 40,000 traffic fatalities, which has been the case from 2016 to 2018.
“Practicing safe driving is always essential, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, historically, has less fatal crashes,” said Josh Barnes, project manager at Car Insurance Comparison. “However, since there is not a 1:1 ratio with crashes and fatalities, this means a fatal crash could result in 4-5 fatalities since families may be traveling together.”
Mr. Barnes says New Year’s Day is the worst holiday — in the December-January stretch — for fatal crashes. About 50% of the fatal crashes on New Year’s Day in 2018 involved someone who drank and drive, about 27% of the fatal crashes involved speeding, and about 22% resulted in a rollover.
Surprisingly, Mr. Barnes said, only a small percentage was from distracted driving or involved a motorcyclist. 0% involved drowsy driving.
And while Car Insurance Comparison is one entity, at least one Arizona agency appears to put the state down in the dumps. In 2018, the Arizona Governor’s Highway Safety Association reported Arizona is the second deadliest state in the U.S. for the rate of pedestrian fatalities per capita.
According to the report, carelessness, speeding, ignoring laws, and drunk driving remain among the leading causes of traffic deaths. In Arizona, careless driving is No. 1.
New Year’s Eve is approaching, and with that, people will be out and about celebrating — some by consuming alcohol. People are encouraged to celebrate responsibly to avoid a fatal New Year’s Day.
“While fatal crashes drop between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, on New Year’s Day there is an alarming, sharp increase of fatal crashes,” Mr. Barnes said. “For the nation, New Year’s Eve of 2017 saw 70 fatal crashes and New Year’s Day of 2018 saw 110 fatal crashes. For Arizona, New Year’s Eve of 2017 saw 3 fatal crashes and New Year’s Day of 2018 saw 5 fatal crashes.”
December DUI patrol
The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety on Friday released their preliminary holiday DUI statistics, which only account for Dec. 1 through noon Dec. 27.
In that time, Arizona officials have conducted 36,512 total traffic stops. That is less than the over 73,000 stops in December 2018 and 66,900 in December 2017.
Officials have arrested 1,499 people for DUI during the 27 days, with 298 charged with extreme DUI — a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher. The legal limit in Arizona is 0.08. The average BAC has been 0.149, which is higher than in years past.
In addition, 450 drivers have been cited for criminal speeding, which occurs when people drive more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit or 80 mph on any road. Over 6,700 people have been cited with a civil speed violation.
No fatality counts were available in the provided statistics.
Holiday driving
This holiday season, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office partnered with Lyft and Desert Financial to promote the “Save Lives, Don’t DUI” campaign from Dec. 1 until New Year’s Day.
“This month-long campaign is designed to get people to think about planning ahead and making sure they have a sober ride to and from their holiday events,” said Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel. “We also want to give them an affordable option to do so.”
Between now and New Year’s Day, first-time users who download the Lyft app can get $5 off their first four rides by entering the promo code “JOY.” Those who already have the Lyft app can enter the code “JOY19” to receive 20% off two rides allowing them to get to and from their holiday festivities safely.
There are consequences to driving under the influence in Arizona. According to the MCAO, the DUI laws in Arizona are widely regarded as the strictest in the nation, and can land drivers in jail with up to $10,000 in fines for their first offense. In contrast, the Lyft code can offer many a safe ride home for as low as a $5 or $10 charge.
As far as the roads are concerned, the Arizona Department of Transportation says no freeway closures for construction or maintenance projects are scheduled in the Phoenix area this weekend or around the New Year’s holiday.
ADOT says drivers should focus on safe driving habits like buckling up and keeping speeds in check; never driving while impaired; arranging for a designated driver or ride service.
While no closures are schedule, drivers should still be alert and obey lower speed limits within existing freeway improvement project work zones.
Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511 and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, a free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas — where possible, in advance of alternate routes.
As 2020 approaches, officials remind motorists to use caution and slow down in inclement weather, which Arizona has seen over the last few weeks of the year.
“Even though 2020 is the year of autonomous driving, don’t rely on autonomous driving to save drivers from making poor decisions,” Mr. Barnes said. “You can add, and keep, the new year’s resolution of being more alert when driving, not driving after drinking, and practice defensive driving, especially around the holidays, to make it into 2021.”
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