DPS NEWS

DPS and UDOT Release Preliminary 2017 Traffic Fatality Numbers

 On Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) released preliminary traffic fatality numbers for 2017 and kicked off a new safety campaign aimed at reducing distracted driving. 

In 2017 there were 273 lives lost on Utah’s roads. That’s a 2.8% decrease in roadway fatalities from 2016 (281). These fatalities involved:

• 6 drowsy drivers (20 in 2016)
• 20 distracted drivers (27 in 2016)
• 85 aggressive drivers (27 in 2016)
  • 74 of those were speed related  (72 involved speed in 2016)
  • The other 11 are attributed to reckless driving and street racing
• 29 alcohol impaired drivers from January through September ONLY – October to December data is not yet available so this number will likely increase (36 alcohol impaired drivers in 2016)
• 87 fatalities were unrestrained (80 in 2016)

For an in-depth look at the data, click here.

To encourage safer driving on our roads, Zero Fatalities created a campaign called, “Join the Resistance.” This multifaceted campaign aimed at empowering and uniting Utahns to eliminate distraction behind the wheel. 

Anyone who drives knows distracted driving is a serious concern. Though distracted driving crashes and fatalities are difficult to quantify, we know this behavior is a top contributing factor for crashes and fatalities on our roads. If we do nothing to eliminate distracting activities in a vehicle, drivers will continue to be at a greater risk of dying in a crash or killing others. The Join the Resistance campaign was created to help eliminate distracted driving and save lives.

We recognize that driving focused takes effort and practice. That’s why at the center of Join the Resistance campaign is our website where drivers can take a pledge to always drive distraction free.