From Deseret News archives:
Goal of summit is 'zero fatalities' on Utah roadways
Statistics show a total of 287 motorists died on Utah roadways in 2006. Of those deaths, a majority involved factors such as alcohol, speeding, improper restraint and distracted driving, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.
Nationwide, nearly 43,000 people were killed in highway accidents.
"One death is too many, and we can stop it," said James Champagne, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, who was a keynote speaker here in Park City at the Zero Fatalities Safety Summit.
Champagne was applauded by about 250 law enforcement officers, health workers, transportation officials and safety advocates gathered for the two-day safety conference. He told of how as a new law enforcement officer 40 years ago, he came upon his first fatal crash: a young man who had been drinking and driving.
Training didn't prepare him for that incident, and it could have been prevented, Champagne said.
"Accidents mean that God intervened and nothing could have changed," he said. "Crashes are preventable."
"I promise you, when the public believes an enforcement is taking place, people will drive the speed limit," he said.
Robert Hull, director of traffic and safety for the Utah Department of Transportation, said he was hopeful conference attendees would network and find ideas on how to reduce fatalities. Several breakout sessions were scheduled for the conference, including one on teen drivers, and another on motorcycle safety.
About two years ago, UDOT and other state agencies created a "zero fatalities" campaign, with the goal to reduce fatalities on Utah roads to zero. For more information, go to: www.zerofatalities.com.
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com
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