New government program will send doctors directly to crash sites in Tucson

Arizona had nearly 300 pedestrians die in crashes in 2022.

Arizona was the second-most fatal state for pedestrians in 2022. Now, nearly $7.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is headed to Tucson to help lower that number.

Four out of every 100,000 people in Arizona died as a pedestrian in a traffic incident in 2022—second in the nation only to New Mexico’s 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a Democrat who represents parts of Tucson and most of the state’s southern border in Congress, announced Wednesday that the University of Arizona will receive $7,483,382 from the federal government to implement a program that sends physicians directly to crash sites.

The EMS Physician 1 Program would send those physicians in vehicles carrying advanced care equipment so they can quickly treat accident victims during their most critical moments.

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The funding comes from a program called “Safe Streets and Roads for All.” It’s one result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden signed in 2021. It makes historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure and awards funding to systems and ideas that help improve the quality of life in America.

Arizona’s EMS Physician 1 Program is part of a total award of $5 billion, to be used between 2022 and 2026 to fund local, regional, and tribal initiatives that prevent roadway deaths.

Arizona had nearly 300 pedestrians die in crashes in 2022. Pima County accounted for 59 of those deaths, and at a higher rate than the more populous Maricopa County.

“Tucson is among the top cities on the list in terms of pedestrian fatalities from vehicle crashes,” Grijalva said in a press release. “As we work to make our roads safer for all, this funding is vital and will help save lives.”