Tucson has some of the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in the U.S.
Last year, the Tucson Police Department recorded 95 fatal car crashes, up from 90 in 2020 , according to state data. Of those deaths, 29 were pedestrians, 7 cyclists, 39 drivers and motorcyclists, according to data collected by advocacy group Living Streets Alliance.
Tucson also ranked sixth in 2020 on a list of 50 American cities with the highest rate of motor vehicle crash fatalities, gathered by Stacker using U.S. Department of Transportation data. It was among the top cities on that list in terms of pedestrian fatalities from vehicle crashes, both in terms of raw numbers and rate per 100,000 residents.
Zooming out to Pima County data that encompasses other cities in Tucson’s metro area, 48 pedestrians were killed by cars in 2023, while another 72 pedestrians were killed by cars in 2022.
Why are so many pedestrians dying in Tucson?
One major factor impacting pedestrian deaths is infrastructure and street design, according to experts and elected officials.