Traffic safety experts say the statistics make it clear that it’s time to take a look at the underlying causes of increasing traffic deaths in Arizona and take action to reverse the trend. Former senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Transportation Steve Polzin, a research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, points out how the public’s reaction to COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in safety features in newer automobile have been factors leading to more risky behavior by drivers.

See also: Planners Push Transit, But it’s A Hard Sell In Western Cities, Newgeography, April 25, Polzin notes factors that influence the public’s choices about using public transit versus driving their own vehicles.