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Arizona is among a handful of states with the weakest highway safety laws in the nation, according to a new study from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
The study finds Arizona has only five of the 15 laws gauged in the annual report.
The state performed well for having strict laws on impaired driving. Arizona requires people with drunken driving convictions to install an ignition interlock device, which is similar to a breathalyzer that prevents a car engine from starting if the driver’s blood alcohol content is above the legal limit.
Arizona also has a law against open containers and steep penalties for driving under the influence with a minor in the vehicle.
But the laws that are not on Arizona’s books are the reason the report identifies it as one of nine that are falling dangerously behind.
Arizona doesn’t forbid drivers to text while behind the wheel, and it places very few restrictions on teen drivers, even though car crashes are the number one cause of death among American teens.
Valerie Vinyard, the spokesperson for AAA-Arizona, which also advocates for many of the laws included in the study, said distracted driving is a major cause of accidents.
“Laws banning that have been enacted banning texting and limiting distractions have been shown to work around the country.”
The study said the failure to enact highway safety laws is leading to preventable deaths and injuries.
Read the full report here
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