The average price for gas in Arizona fell to $3.99 a gallon Thursday. It’s the first time in months a gallon of gas has been below $4 and down sharply from the record high of $5.38 just two months ago.
Highway deaths in Arizona fell by nearly a third in the first quarter of 2022. That’s according to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency says 190 people died on Arizona roads during the first quarter of the year, a 31 percent drop from the 277 killed during the same three-month stretch in 2021.
Arizona’s rates differ from the rest of the county, which saw a sharp increase in traffic fatalities during the same time period.
Experts say the uptick in deaths nationally could be the result of more people returning to the road post-pandemic in addition to higher speeds and more distracted and reckless drivers.
Police departments statewide are increasing holiday DUI patrols this Labor Day Weekend.
DUI task forces will be set up along main interstates, as well as municipal roadways.
Flagstaff, Prescott and Chino Valley are among cities that plan to have increased police presence over the long weekend in order to crack down on impaired driving and accidents.