Arizona Accident Analysis

Arizona Accident Analysis for 1934

The year 1934, according to records compiled, shows an increase over 1933 of 22% for number of vehicles involved in accidents in Arizona, in which 205 persons were killed and 1,479 were injured.

There were 1,717 accidents reported involving 2,849 motor vehicles, 202 pedestrians, 11 railroad trains, 25 street cars, 38 bicycles, four horse drawn vehicles, 31 fixed objects and 22 loose animals.

"Collisions with Other Motor Vehicles" constitute 66% of all accidents and were responsible for 22% of the deaths and 58% of those injured in all accidents. "Collisions with Pedestrians", while only 112% of all accidents, claimed 27% of the lives, but only 11% of those injured. In 202 pedestrians accidents 55 were killed and 162 injured, or 1.07 persons killed or injured per accident.

To further analyze these pedestrian accidents we find that 28% were walking in the roadway, 16½% were playing in the roadway, 15% were crossing between intersections and 19% crossing at intersections, with the remaining accidents "working in roadway," "Getting on or off vehicles", etc.

It seems, from this, that the pedestrian probably is more to blame than the motorist, for, after all, the greater percentage were struck while in the area provided for motor vehicle traffic and not for pedestrians. However, I feel that we have overlooked the pedestrian in the great rush of highway building in the past, and am pleased to see that the general trend in highway design now covers this point, by the inclusion of walkways on federal aid projects, where deemed necessary.

"Non-Collision" accidents again claim the most deaths, and the highest percentage of injuries per accident. This type of accident, while only 14% of the total, caused 45.4% of the deaths and 13.9% of those injured. Last year the percentage respectively was 41% and 19.5%, showing a trend of greater seriousness surrounding such accidents. Of 252 such accidents 93 persons were killed and 354 injured, or an average of 1.77 persons per accident. We find many factors entering into the causes of non-collision accidents, which are hard to analyze; but we do know that speed is a big factor. Possibly not speed in itself, but "going too fast for condition" would be a better statement. This, then, reflects the driver's own mental attitude, his judgment, eye-sight, experience and other personal factors, as well as the equipment of the vehicle, such as tires, brakes, lights, etc. The records show 48 accidents were caused by blow-outs, 29% of which were fatal, 346 cars ran off the roadway. Many of these accidents could have been avoided, if proper judgment had been exercised, not only at the time of emergency but by proper inspection and care of thecar and equipment. So called "wrecks" should be ruled off the road, as well as unqualified drivers.

By E. V. MILLER, Safety Engineer Going back to "collision with other Motor Vehicles" we find that out of 1,132 such accidents, 35.5% were "an-gle" collisions, 10.6% were head-on, 11.7% rear end, and 19.3% were side-swipe accidents. Of the fatal collision accidents, 28.2% were under "Side-swipe" and 22% under "Head-on" collisions, or one-half of all fatal collis-ions come under these two items. Of all persons injured, as stated before, 58% were caused by collisions between cars, and 32% of the non-fatal collis-ions were angle collisions, 17% side-swipe, 16.6% head-on and 14.3% rear end. A side-swipe and a head-on col-lision may be classed the same, as far as causes are concerned. The serious-ness of these accidents is easily realized, for even if the two cars involved are traveling at normal speeds, their im-pact would naturally be equivalent to the sum of the speeds of both cars. It is easy to see, then, why 50% of all fatal and 33.6% of all non-fatal collisions fall under this type of accident.

The causes are many poor lights, glaring lights, fog, rain, driving too fast for conditions, and poor judgment of distances, make up a few of them. Narrow pavements, lack of adequate shoulders, lack of center stripes, may also be contributing causes, but should not be, for a good driver should recog-nize the road deficiency, if any, and drive accordingly, Wide shoulders, center stripes, signs and other safety fea-tures are placed for the convenience of the driver, and the lack of them should not, in any way, take the responsibility off his shoulders as a driver.

The most fatal hour of the day seems to be between 6 and 7 p. m., with the hour between 3 and 4 p. m. running a close second. The hour between 10 and 11 a. m. seems to have more total accidents, and with the most injury accidents. The six hour period between 3 and 9 p. m. again shows the greatest number of casualties, when 43% of the fatal and 40% of the non-fatal accidents occur, where time was reported.

Of all the accidents, 38.5% were at intersections, where 15.4% of the fatalities and 36% of the injuries occurred.

Passenger cars were 77%, trucks 14.3%, motorcycles 1.3%, busses 0.5% of the vehicles involved. Passenger cars were involved in 62% of the fatal and 77% of the non-fatal accidents, and trucks in 21% of the fatal and 13.5% of the non-fatal accidents.

Residents of other states were involved in 9.4% of all accidents, 16.8% of the fatal, 9.1% of the non-fatal and 8.4% of the property damages accidents.

About 6.2% of the drivers were under 20 years of age, and these were involved in 7.2% of the fatal and 6.5% of the non-fatal accidents. About 20% were between 20 and 30 years and were in 17.2% of the fatal and 20.5% of the non-fatal accidents. About 24% were between 30 and 50 years of age and these in 13.3% of the fatal and 24.1% of the non-fatal accidents.

Of the male drivers 7.2% were involved in fatal accidents against 6.2% of the females, and 46.5% male drivers were in non-fatal against 49% of the female drivers. Out of 2849 drivers 323 were reported to be women or about 11%.

The reports show that 73.4% of the drivers were going straight ahead. Left turns again took their toll with 7.5% of the drivers involved. Many reports show serious accidents occurring while making right turns, "U" turns, overtaking other cars, leaving the curbs, and parked.

Driving on the wrong side of road caused 218 cars to be involved in 12 fatal and 106 non-fatal accidents. Improper turns, such as cutting corners and turning from wrong lane are causes of many accidents reported, as well as failing to signal, disregarding signals, stop signs or passing on curves and hills.

Defective brakes and improper lights are vehicle defects that always top the list.

Under "Condition of Driver", 4.4% were reported to have been drunk. against 5% for 1933. Almost 39% of the reports did not state anything, and 54.5% claimed no defect. Nineteen drivers fell asleep, causing serious accidents. Eleven of the 217 pedestrians struck were reported under the influence of liquor.

About 91% of the accidents were reported on good roads with no defects. A few accidents occurred where the road was under repair or construction, but is only 1.5% of the total. Accidents on dry roads and in clear weather are 90% of the total.

Accidents happening after dark seem to be the most serious. While only 20% of the accidents occurred after dark, where there were no street lights, they claim 31.3% of the fatal accidents. Daylight accidents were 45.8% of the total, with 24.2% of the fatal and 45% of the non-fatal. Many serious accidents happened in the dusk or semidarkness.

Last year I concluded my report with a statement of the economic loss resulting from these accidents. I placed a value of $10,000 on a life, $1,000 for an injury and $50 per car for damage. By using the same figures I arrive at an economic loss of $3,671,450.00, which is over $920,000 more than last year.