Are Arizona's Vehicle Safety Laws Too Lax?

April 10, 2013

Starting in 2005, Arizona, along with the United States as a whole, began a seven-year stretch of declining car accident deaths. By 2011, traffic deaths had reached the lowest levels in decades, but that trend is now in reverse. Although numbers are still lower than in past decades, preliminary estimates by the National Safety Council show a 5.1 percent increase in fatal accidents from 2011 to 2012.

Some of the reasons cited by traffic safety experts have to do with an improving economy. In general, people have more money to drive and have changed their driving habits. But others involve basic safety measures that states can regulate and drivers likely know they should follow. Lack of seat belt use, drunk driving and texting behind the wheel all contribute to car accident deaths.

Is the U.S. serious enough about traffic safety? Some safety advocates are asking this question as the numbers of car accidents and traffic deaths rise while state laws to improve vehicle safety lag. Arizona, according to one safety organization, has fallen dangerously behind when it comes to highway safety laws.

Arizona Gets Failing Grade On Highway Safety

The Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety gave Arizona a red rating on its 2013 road map report. Red generally means a state has fewer than seven of 15 laws the organization considers important. Among the laws are seat belt, booster seat, motorcycle, teen driving and impaired driving laws.

Arizona has six critical safety laws, according to the organization. It lacks
- A seat belt law subject to primary enforcement, meaning officers can stop a driver solely because the driver was not wearing a seat belt
- A law requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets
- A minimum age of 16 for a learner's permit
- Nighttime restrictions for teen drivers
- Passenger restrictions for teen drivers
- Cellphone restrictions for teen drivers
- A requirement for 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving for teen drivers
- Restricted licenses for those under 18
- Text messaging prohibitions for all drivers

Although Arizona does not have many teen driving restrictions promoted by the group, it fared well for its strict laws against drunk driving. In addition, the group credited Arizona for a new law requiring children ages 4 through 7 to use booster seats.

In last year's report, when Arizona did not have the booster seat law, the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety ranked the state as the second worst. The 2013 report places two states below Arizona, which tied with three others in the red rating.

Texting-While-Driving Bill Stalls

Reaction to the state rankings in Arizona varied. The director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety was quoted as saying the report did not reflect the state's road safety. According to news reports, the director said the state's traffic safety laws were in good shape.

A state senator who focuses on highway safety disagrees. According to the article, he has sponsored six bills to ban texting. None have been successful. The latest, SB 1218, stalled in the Senate. The state Legislature has considered two other road safety measures this year. SB 1241 would prohibit drivers under age 18 from using wireless devices. SB 1393 would prohibit mass transit operators from using wireless devices.

In Phoenix, a city ordinance prohibits texting while driving.

Article provided by Knapp & Roberts
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