ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Arizona Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Arizona from January 2026 through March 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.
The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.
01 PHONE DISTRACTION
Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark
In January 2026, drivers in Arizona recorded 21.91 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 7% below the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 22.33, a 1.9% increase from the prior month, and 7.2% below the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 22.24 events per 100 miles, marking a 0.4% decrease from February. It was 6.4% below the US average.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
02 COUNTY ANALYSIS
County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving
Across the three-month period, Arizona averaged 22.16 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Greenlee, Yuma, and Graham, recorded distraction rates roughly 12% – 32% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by La Paz, Yavapai, and Gila, reported rates roughly 24% – 32% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Greenlee County
29.2
+31.8%Yuma County
25.8
+16.4%Graham County
24.9
+12.4%Maricopa County
23.2
+4.7%Pima County
22.4
+1.1%Lowest Distraction
La Paz County
15.1
-31.9%Yavapai County
16.6
-25.1%Gila County
16.8
-24.2%Apache County
17.8
-19.7%Mohave County
18.1
-18.3%
03 HARD BRAKING
High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk
Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of Maricopa County intersections found AZ 202 Loop EB & Red Mountain Freeway & Center Parkway to be a high-risk hotspot, with 529.2 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
AZ 202 Loop EB & Red Mountain Freeway & Center Parkway
529.2
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Arizona
Hard Braking Events per 100 miles
Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.
04 SPEEDING PATTERNS
When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks
Speeding behavior in Arizona follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On Hwy 260 in Payson, AZ (65 mph), speeding peaks on Tuesday at 2:00 a.m., when 79.8% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Friday at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Hwy 260
Posted speed limit: 65 mph
Fridays: 4:00 p.m.
23.7%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Sundays: 9:00 a.m.
21.2%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
05 SCHOOL ZONES
How fast are drivers going in school zones?
We analyzed speed range in the school zone at Yavapai Elementary School on N Miller Rd in Scottsdale, AZ. Friday at 5:00 p.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 68.9% of drivers going over the limit.
Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.
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