Local opinion: Arizona should look beyond barriers to stop deadly I-10 crashes

A deadly I-10 crossover pattern has been exposed by the Arizona Republic. It found 92 cross-median crashes on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson since 2000, resulting in 89 injuries and 44 deaths. They clustered around mileposts 160 to 180 and 200 to 240 heading from south Phoenix to Marana. Federal data identified 34 fatal cross-median crashes statewide from 2010 through 2024.

The Republic’s investigation presents those numbers as a compelling case for median barriers. But that addresses only the final seconds of the crash. Arizona also needs to know what sent these vehicles toward the median.

A motorist may have been speeding, driving aggressively, illegally holding or manually operating a phone, changing lanes unsafely or failing to remain in the proper lane. They may have been distracted by texting, eating or looking over their shoulders at their children, impaired by drugs, alcohol or physically ill. Or, they may have overcorrected after drifting onto the shoulder or swerved to avoid another vehicle. Debris, dust, pavement conditions, tire failure, illness or a medical emergency also may have been contributing factors. Crossing the median describes what happened next, not why.

The fact that the Republic’s investigation revealed little about causation for these crashes points to the disconnect between why the accident happened and prevention. ADOT and the Department of Public Safety should apply those categories to every known I-10 crossover crash between Phoenix and Tucson and figure out what’s causing these deadly hotspots on the road. They need the analysis for themselves: to identify recurring risks, locations and times and ultimately, to deploy sound prevention strategies.

The most immediate public-facing remedy is to turn those findings into real-time, location-specific information. Drivers approaching a dangerous stretch should know whether to expect dust, debris, a difficult merge, recurring lane departures or unusually aggressive traffic. Overhead boards should identify high-risk stretches and tell motorists when to slow down, increase following distance, stay in their lane or prepare for a specific hazard.

If speed and unsafe lane changes recur, ADOT should evaluate lower or variable speed limits while DPS concentrates enforcement at the highest-risk locations and times. If fatigue is significant, ADOT should strengthen or expand rumble strips where drivers are most likely to drift. If roadway hazards recur, cameras, sensors and rapid-response crews should detect them quickly, with warnings reaching drivers before the danger.

Arizona is not starting from zero. The Wild Horse Pass project is adding cameras, fiber-optic infrastructure and overhead message boards, and the Republic reports concrete median barriers will be installed throughout the 26-mile project. DPS also has launched Arrive Alive Arizona, a five-year campaign centered on enforcement, communications and changing dangerous driving behavior.

Google Maps already gives drivers basic warnings of dangers ahead. As autonomous passenger vehicles expand, many of these risks will be eliminated. For now, Arizona should connect existing technology and enforcement to dangerous patterns and warn drivers before the next vehicle reaches the median.