Show Low Mayor John Leach Jr. and Commander McNeal urged drivers to slow down and plan travel on the Mayor Minute broadcast, citing rising numbers of crashes at local intersections and on Highway 260 South.

The warning came as Commander McNeal presented recent crash counts and described the city’s highest-accident locations, and Mayor Leach told residents to allow extra travel time to avoid rushed driving. "Slow down, man," Leach said. "If you've got to be somewhere at a certain time, give yourself a half hour, 45 minutes and take your time."

"When I stop people all the time it's like I have a meeting or I'm late for work ... it's actually a you problem," Commander McNeal said, urging drivers to plan ahead. McNeal said most local collisions stem from inattention and impatience, saying drivers attempt to "beat a light" or make unsafe maneuvers. He identified Showell Lake Road as the city's highest-accident intersection and Wolford as the second-highest.

McNeal gave traffic-volume and crash figures to illustrate the scale of the problem, saying Highway 260 South carries about 26,000 vehicles daily. He said that from May to September the city recorded 186 accidents with no injuries, 116 accidents with injuries and two fatalities; from October to April the city recorded 217 accidents with no injuries, 151 accidents with injuries and three fatalities. Those figures were presented by McNeal on the broadcast.

McNeal also reminded drivers of their obligations when emergency vehicles are present: "when you see red and blue lights or the fire trucks rolling ... you still have to pull over and stop until it's passed you by," he said, adding that some drivers have told officers they did not realize a vehicle was trying to pass.

Mayor Leach closed by asking residents to be patient and to plan errands to reduce unsafe driving, including making right-hand turns when routing multiple stops. Neither the mayor nor McNeal announced any new traffic enforcement program or formal policy change during the broadcast; the segment was a public-safety advisory.

They concluded by encouraging residents to "have a great summer" and to drive safely.