Arizona Needs More Highway Safety Policies

February 5, 2016

According to a recent report from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Arizona ranks as one of the worst states for highway safety policies.

The Vice President of governmental affairs for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety confirmed that seven of the 15 best highway safety laws were missing in Arizona. If certain highway safety policies were present, Arizona could save countless lives and significantly boost their state’s safety ratings. These laws include:

• Mandating Seatbelt Usage ”“ Arizona passengers sitting in the front and rear of vehicles are not mandated to wear seat belts. Enforcing this primary seat belt law could provide the first line of protection for saving a passenger’s life.
• Mandating Helmet Usage for Motorcyclists ”“ Currently, motorcyclists are not mandated to wear helmets in Arizona. In other states requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, the rate of helmet usage goes up while fewer deaths occur.
• Prohibiting Texting while Driving ”“ Arizona is one of only four states in the nation that does not prohibit texting while driving. Currently, there is a bill up for debate that would make using a wireless device an aggravating factor if someone is convicted of a crime while texting, sending, entering or reading any form of visual communication. Still, this would not improve Arizona’s safety rankings, as it does not fully restrict texting while driving.

This is the fourth year that Arizona has ranked among the lowest in the report from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Arizona’s lack of texting restrictions, lenient seatbelt laws and inadequate motorcycle helmet requirements put innocent Arizona drivers and passengers at risk.

If you have been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver, contact the car accident attorneys at Phillips Law today. Our injury lawyers in Phoenix, AZ offer free consultations and work to get you the MAXIMUM amount of compensation.

Call 1-800-706-3000 or fill out a contact form.