PHOENIX — After two deadly motorcycle crashes on the Loop 202 last week, ABC15's Nick Ciletti sat down with DPS Colonel Jeffrey Glover to get his take on these tragedies.
"Any time we see crashes that lead to fatalities, that's a concern," explains Col. Glover. "It's part of our mission to be able to reduce those."
Col. Glover says deadly crashes - involving both vehicles and motorcycles - are actually down on Arizona roadways roughly 10% so far, year over year, from 2025 to 2024.
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According to an Arizona Department of Transportation report released in July, deadly crashes had dropped a little more than 6% from 2023 to 2024.
Even though it is believed the two people who died in separate motorcycle crashes last week were both wearing helmets, ABC15 asked Col. Glover if he believed the helmet law needed to change.
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Currently, in Arizona, minors are required to wear helmets, but riders 18 and older are not.
"It would be nice to have a helmet requirement," says Col. Glover. "Obviously, there is some protection, and this allows for some survivability if someone goes down in a collision. If it's high speed, not as much, so it's incumbent upon the person to make sure they are protecting themselves. It would be helpful."
As far as deadly crashes being down again this year, Col. Glover credits - at least in part - the actions his department has taken.
"I think it's coming down to doing a better job at understanding where some of our different areas where we have had historically fatal collisions. Also, being more proactive on enforcement details within those areas."
Col. Glover also says technological advancements in new cars have helped.
"We can't discredit that with new vehicles that are coming out that have enhanced features on those vehicles for passenger and driver safety. That's a big deal. Those are all things that factor into it."
