UHP troopers work overtime during final weekend of ‘100 Deadliest Days of Summer’

September 1, 2017 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — Labor Day weekend is considered one of the most dangerous periods of time on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and marks the end of the “Deadliest Days of Summer.”

During the summer months, fatal crashes nearly double on the state’s roads, making them Utah’s 100 Deadliest Days of Summer.

42,317 speed contacts made during 100 Deadliest Days of Summer 2017 | Image courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

In 2016 traffic crash deaths were 43 percent higher during this period than the rest of the year. Over a 10-year period, from 2007 to 2016, more than 900 people lost their lives on Utah roadways, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.

Since the beginning of the 100 Deadliest Days in 2017, Utah Highway Patrol troopers have made more than 42,300 traffic enforcement contacts for speeding, nearly 12,400 for seat belts and have arrested more than 800 drivers for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Those efforts have made a difference.

817 DUI Arrests made during 100 Deadliest Days of Summer 2017 | Image courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer 2017 has seen a 39 percent reduction in the number of people killed in traffic accidents and a 32 percent reduction in the number of fatal crashes compared to the previous three-year average.

Moreover, unrestrained fatalities have gone down nearly 60 percent, reduced from 20 lives lost to eight this year, and speed-related deaths have gone down 23 percent with 13 lives lost during the same period down to 10.

That means there are 15 individuals alive today who, based on the numbers from 2014 to 2016, may have otherwise lost their lives on Utah’s roadways.

Enforcement with one goal: Get everyone home safely

Utah Highway Patrol authorities have used data collected over the past several years to identify problem areas with a high level of crashes and traffic violations during the 100 Deadliest Days.

Buckle up during Utah’s 100 Deadliest Days of Summer | Image courtesy of Utah Zero Fatalities, St. George News

To address these factors and keep the motoring public safe, troopers will be working nearly 150 overtime day shifts focusing on speed, aggressive driving and seat belt use followed by another 80 overtime night shifts targeting drunk drivers.

“As Utah finishes out the 100 deadliest days of 2017, we want to remind everyone to buckle up, to not drive distracted and to drive sober,” UHP Trooper Evan Kirby told St. George News Saturday.

Deadliest Days of Summer fast facts:

The odds of dying from a bear attack are 1 in 2.1 million. Your chance of surviving in an unbuckled car crash is 1 in 2.
Human error is the reason for 94 percent of all fatal car crashes.
Drivers under the age of 25 are involved in 42 percent of all drowsy driving crashes.
Washington County had the fifth-highest number of unrestrained occupant traffic fatalities in 2016.

“We’d like to see everyone on Utah’s roadways go home to their families safe,” Kirby said.

Email: cblowers@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews