PHOENIX — Arizona is known for the Grand Canyon, hot summers, and golf. Driving safely? Not so much.
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A recent analysis of federal data ranks Arizona seventh from the bottom for safest states to drive. The only states ranked lower are Montana, South Carolina, Louisiana, Wyoming, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
The safest states to drive in? New York and New Jersey.
Arizona also has five of the worst cities to drive in nationwide. Only California and Texas have more — and both states are significantly larger than Arizona. The five Arizona cities that made the list, in order: Tucson, Tempe, Yuma, Phoenix and Goodyear.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation's crash dashboard, the top violation last year was driving too fast for conditions, accounting for 16% of citations and 17% of injuries and deaths. Failing to yield accounted for 10% of violations, and unsafe lane changes accounted for 4%.
Where are crashes happening most?
Some Arizona towns see more crashes than others. Tolleson, Gila Bend and Quartzsite have the highest collision rates per capita — and all three sit along a busy freeway.
When it comes to alcohol-involved crashes, Carefree, Lake Havasu City and Litchfield Park stand out. About 10% of collisions in those cities involve alcohol — more than double the rate seen in most of Arizona's largest cities.
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