This Phoenix street is among the deadliest roads in the U.S.

Arizona is known for its deadly heat, which has killed more than 600 people a year in Maricopa County over the last two summers. But what about its roads?

They’re also not for the faint of heart, according to a new analysis.

First aid course training provider CPR First Aid analyzed the 50 most dangerous roads in America, and a fifth of them are in the Valley. West Thomas Road, which runs for nearly eight miles from central Phoenix through the West Valley, ranked as the ninth-most dangerous road in the U.S.

The company’s study used fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from between 2019 and 2023, factoring in road type, location, total crashes, fatalities and pedestrian involvement. West Thomas Road had 30 fatal crashes and 31 total fatalities in that span, for a rate of 3.79 fatal crashes per mile. Seventeen of those fatalities were pedestrians.

“This data shows that local streets where speeds vary and pedestrians mix with traffic present the greatest risks per mile,” said CPR First Aid director Owena Cleary in a press release. “What's particularly concerning is the high pedestrian involvement in these fatal crashes.”

Eight Arizona roads made it on the danger list, accounting for 193 fatal crashes and 204 fatalities. All are Maricopa County roadways. North 43rd Avenue, East Broadway Road and North 51st Avenue ranked 11th, 12th and 15th nationally, respectively. They combined for 83 fatalities.

North 27th Avenue (21st), North Cave Creek Road (37th), West Indian School Road (39th) and West Bethany Home Road (46th) also made the list. Unsurprisingly, most of the Arizona roads on the list are some of the Valley’s biggest arteries. Notably, most of them are on the west side of Maricopa County.

The Valley is no stranger to high traffic mortality rates. Phoenix interstates are infamous for their unruly traffic and high speeds. A recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association indicated that Arizona had the second-highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S.

Notably, of the nine states with roads among the 20 most dangerous, barely half require driver education courses for drivers under 18 or those obtaining a license for the first time. Arizona has no such requirement.

Here’s where Arizona’s roads rank.

9. West Thomas Road
Length: 7.92 miles
Fatal crashes: 30
Fatalities: 31
Fatalities per mile: 3.79

11. East Broadway Road
Length: 5.46 miles
Fatal crashes: 19
Fatalities: 19
Fatalities per mile: 3.48

12. North 43rd Avenue
Length: 8.99 miles
Fatal crashes: 31
Fatalities: 33
Fatalities per mile: 3.45

15. North 51st Avenue
Length: 5.64 miles
Fatal crashes: 19
Fatalities: 19
Fatalities per mile: 3.37

21. North 27th Avenue
Length: 5.58 miles
Fatal crashes: 17
Fatalities: 17
Fatalities per mile: 3.05

37. North Cave Creek Road
Length: 5.3 miles
Fatal crashes: 14
Fatalities: 14
Fatalities per mile: 2.64

39. West Indian School Road
Length: 15.45 miles
Fatal crashes: 40
Fatalities: 44
Fatalities per mile: 2.59

46. West Bethany Home Road
Length: 9.42 miles
Fatal crashes: 23
Fatalities: 27
Fatalities per mile: 2.44