High-risk trucking corridors in Arizona

High-Risk Trucking Corridors in Arizona are roadway segments within the U.S. state of Arizona that have been identified by transportation agencies, researchers, or safety programs as having elevated rates of crashes, severe injuries, or fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles (trucks and buses).

In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) uses corridor profile studies and the statewide annual motor vehicle crash facts to locate segments with concentrations of serious crashes; the state also designates some locations as safety corridors when crash data and partner agency assessments indicate an unusually high level of risk.

Notable corridors

The following routes and corridors have been repeatedly studied or cited in official Arizona corridor reports and federal/state safety documents as having elevated crash histories for all vehicles including commercial trucks:

• Interstate 10 (I-10): Sections of I-10—including both urban segments through the Phoenix area and rural stretches to the west and east—have been the subject of ADOT corridor profile studies examining crash frequency, severe injury crashes, and truck-involved collisions. Improvements and operational recommendations appear in multiple I-10 corridor reports.
• Interstate 40 (I-40): ADOT has completed corridor profile studies for the western and eastern portions of I-40 in Arizona; these reports highlight that certain I-40 segments exhibit higher than average rates of fatal and serious-injury crashes and a notable share of heavy-vehicle incidents, particularly in northern and central Arizona where weather and terrain contribute to risk.
• U.S. Route 60 (US 60, US 60X) and other U.S. highways: Local and corridor planning studies (for example for US 60X) identify high-crash locations on state and U.S. highways that serve as important freight or commuter links and therefore generate elevated exposure of commercial vehicles.

Safety programs and interventions

State and federal agencies employ a mix of engineering, enforcement, and education to reduce crashes on high-risk corridors:

• Safety Corridors: ADOT and partner agencies have implemented safety corridors—specific highway segments with stepped-up enforcement, public education, and targeted engineering countermeasures—to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on corridors with above-average crash rates.
• Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and Corridor Studies: ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) support corridor profiling, targeted capital improvements (guardrails, shoulder widening, intersection upgrades), and safety performance monitoring to address problem locations.
• Commercial vehicle enforcement and federal programs: FMCSA and state partners conduct inspections, size/weight enforcement, and safety outreach; FMCSA datasets and state commercial vehicle safety plans (CVSPs) help prioritize enforcement and education activities where truck crash risk is concentrated.