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ADOT launches 'There's No Such Thing as Accidents' campaign as local speakers press for road safety improvements
Summary
ADOT unveiled a behavior-focused safety campaign at the board meeting and local officials from Graham and Greenlee counties described recurring crashes and urged infrastructure, enforcement and behavioral approaches to reduce fatalities.
ADOT Director Toth told the Arizona State Transportation Board on Aug. 15 that the agency will soon launch a traffic-safety campaign called "There's No Such Thing as Accidents," aimed at reducing crashes by focusing on driver choices.
Toth said the campaign emphasizes that driver behavior — speed, restraint use and decision-making — factors into the majority of crashes and is intended to reduce ‘‘preventable’’ crashes through public messaging, employee pledges and coordination with the Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Office on Highway Safety.
Local elected officials and residents attending the meeting in Graham County described multiple severe crashes on US 70 and other rural highways and urged more funding, design changes and enforcement. Graham County Supervisor Paul David said safety projects like pavement preservation and passing lanes are important but that funding is limited; he asked the board to consider re-prioritizing projects in the five-year transportation plan as funds become available.
‘‘We know money’s short, but we do get a lot of bang for our buck out of safety projects,’’ David said. He also urged legislative action on transportation revenue, noting that the state gas tax remains 18 cents per gallon without indexing since 1991 and suggesting indexing would increase available revenue over time.
Resident Bill Brandow described multiple close calls and a recent crash near Solomon that killed occupants of one vehicle involved in a chain collision. Brandow urged ‘‘personal responsibility’’ and said some highway sections should receive design changes and greater enforcement to reduce unsafe passing.
Kevin Beasty of Freeport-McMoRan briefed the board on a Morenci-area safety analysis that found driver behavior — especially speed and unsafe passing — was a major factor. He said the assessment aligns with ADOT’s statewide safety plan and that local law enforcement is amplifying enforcement and outreach.
ADOT district staff described ongoing Southeast District projects intended to address safety, including westbound passing lanes on US 70 near Vilas, multiple pavement-preservation projects and a multi-year Queen Creek Bridge replacement on US 60. District engineer Todd Emery provided schedules for each project and said several will complete this fall or next year.
Toth said the statewide campaign will use TV, radio, social and event advertising and include an internal employee pledge to encourage safer driving among ADOT staff. She asked board members to help spread the campaign message.
Ending: Local leaders urged both short-term enforcement and long-term infrastructure changes; ADOT committed to outreach and continuing safety investments tied to its strategic highway safety plan.
