The Deadliest Grid in Arizona — West Phoenix's Fatal Corridor

There’s a grid of streets in West Phoenix that, according to federal crash data, is the most dangerous concentration of surface-street fatalities in the entire state of Arizona. If you live, work, or drive through this area, you need to know what we found.

The Data

Our analysis of the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 2015 through 2022 identified the most dangerous surface streets in Maricopa County by fatal crash count. When you plot these streets on a map, a clear pattern emerges — they converge in West Phoenix:

• Indian School Road — 84 fatal crashes (deadliest surface street in Arizona)
• McDowell Road — 63 fatal crashes
• 19th Avenue — 56 fatal crashes
• 43rd Avenue — 55 fatal crashes
• Broadway Road — 53 fatal crashes
• 35th Avenue — 49 fatal crashes
• Van Buren Street — 47 fatal crashes
• Thomas Road — 45 fatal crashes
• Camelback Road — 42 fatal crashes
• 51st Avenue — 38 fatal crashes

The concentration between 43rd Avenue and 83rd Avenue, running from McDowell Road north to Bethany Home Road, contains an extraordinary density of fatal crashes. This roughly 5-mile by 4-mile grid accounts for a disproportionate share of Maricopa County’s traffic deaths.

Why This Area Is So Deadly

Wide, high-speed arterials. Phoenix’s grid system features major arterials every mile — broad, multi-lane roads designed to move traffic fast. In West Phoenix, these roads often have speed limits of 40–45 mph but actual travel speeds that are significantly higher. Combined with long distances between signals, these roads function more like highways than urban streets.

Pedestrian exposure. West Phoenix has higher rates of pedestrian activity combined with limited sidewalk infrastructure, fewer marked crosswalks, and wider crossing distances. A pedestrian trying to cross a 7-lane arterial like Indian School Road faces a gauntlet. Our data shows pedestrian accidents are concentrated on exactly these corridors.

Limited transit alternatives. Residents in this area are more dependent on driving — and walking along or across major arterials — because transit options are sparser than in central or east Phoenix.

Hit-and-run concentration. Phoenix Police data shows approximately 20,000 hit-and-run incidents per year citywide. West Phoenix corridors see a disproportionate share, likely correlated with higher rates of uninsured drivers.

Indian School Road — Arizona’s Deadliest Street

Indian School Road deserves special attention. With 84 fatal crashes over eight years, it averages more than 10 fatalities per year — making it the single most dangerous non-highway road in Arizona. The road runs east-west across the entire Phoenix metro, but fatalities concentrate in the western segments between 19th Avenue and 83rd Avenue.

The combination of high speed, heavy traffic, commercial truck routes, and significant pedestrian activity creates conditions that are lethal with alarming regularity.

What This Means for Accident Victims

If you’ve been in an accident on any of these West Phoenix corridors, you’re not alone — and the road design itself may be a contributing factor. While driver negligence is the primary cause of most crashes, dangerous road design can also create liability for government entities responsible for road engineering, signal timing, and pedestrian infrastructure.

Arizona’s notice-of-claim requirement for government entities is 180 days — far shorter than the standard two-year statute of limitations. If you believe road design contributed to your accident, contact an attorney immediately.

The Law Badgers Know These Roads

We built this analysis because no one else had. The data exists in federal databases, but no other Phoenix law firm has assembled it into a usable picture of where and why people are dying on our roads. This is the kind of data-driven preparation that strengthens every case we take.

If you’ve been injured on Indian School Road, McDowell Road, 43rd Avenue, or anywhere in the West Phoenix grid, the Law Badgers are ready to fight for you.