Have state highways really gotten less safe?

Traffic deaths on state highways are up 35 percent over last year. The Department of Public Safety pledges a crackdown, writing more tickets and giving fewer warnings.

This, however, is the problem of small numbers. Deaths have risen from 107 this time last year to 144 this year. That's a big percentage increase. But as a function of vehicle miles driven, it's statistically imperceptible.

This is far more likely to be a random event than an outbreak of bad driving. And the tickets DPS issues will also be largely random events.

Reach Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com.