Given the large number of motor vehicle crashes and crash fatalities in the greater Phoenix area, Phoenix government officials have proposed a comprehensive road safety plan that utilizes traffic data to analyze crash trends. Phoenix is one of the three major US cities that lead in traffic fatalities, ahead of Los Angeles, and Houston.
Phoenix’s Director of Street Transportation, Kini Knudson, is leading the charge for safer roads in Arizona. Knudson hopes to determine whether traffic fatalities are related to driving behavior, infrastructure issues, or a combination of both. Knudson reached out to the public to garner their opinion on the matter. Phoenix residents expressed concern over the number of red lights being run as well as the duration of traffic lights.
The road safety plan is still in its preliminary stages. The city is planning for further public comment in February 2022 and is projected to complete the safety plan by December 2022, when it will be presented to Phoenix City Council for approval. At the current time it is not clear what the road safety plan will entail. However, other cities and towns have implemented road safety plans that do focus on making intersections, traffic lanes, pedestrian travel and bicycle travel safer. It is good to hear Phoenix is undertaking a road safety plan project, which will hopefully save lives. We encourage the public to provide the City with input.
If you or someone you know has been injured in car crash in Arizona, an Arizona attorney may be able to help.
Sources
1) Caltabiano, David, and (Source: Arizona’s Family 3TV/CBS 5). “Phoenix Developing Road Safety Action Plan after Series of Car Crashes.” AZFamily, 17 Nov. 2021,