State must analyze cause of I-10 median crossover crashes

Marc Lamber

Submitted photo/Lamber Goodnow

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Do you agree the state needs to analyze median-crossover-crash data before erecting barriers on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson? Tell us why or why not in 300 words or less at yourvalley.net/letters, or email your comments, name, address and contact number to AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

OPINION — A deadly Interstate 10 crossover pattern has emerged between Phoenix and Tucson. The crashes clustered around mileposts 160 to 180 and 200 to 240 heading from south Phoenix to Marana, according to reports. Federal data identified 34 fatal cross-median crashes statewide from 2010 through 2024.

Some would call this pattern 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. I think we should focus on the disconnect between why the accident happened and prevention.

The Arizona Department of Transportation 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 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.

Marc Lamber is a trial attorney and personal injury group chair who has practiced law in Arizona for more than three decades. He lives in Paradise Valley. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.