Driver deaths increase

Despite a $300,000 advertising campaign aimed at ending fatalities on Utah highways, more people have died on the road so far this year compared with the first six months of 2005.

Pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities are also up 27 percent over the state's previous four-year average for January through June, according to state transportation-department statistics. As of last Friday, a total of 115 people have died so far this year on Utah roads, including 28 pedestrian and motorcyclist deaths.

Last year, 113 highway fatalities were recorded by the end of June.

Despite the statistics, Robert Hull, director of traffic and safety for the Utah Department of Transportation, defended UDOT's "Zero Fatalities" campaign, saying it validates the need to further educate the public about safe driving behaviors.

"We're only six months into this," Hull said. "Yes, the numbers are up, but that obviously means that we need to do more than we have been doing as a state, as agencies, as organizations and as private individuals."

UDOT's campaign was launched in January, with support from groups like AAA and the Utah Department of Public Safety. It is funded through a federal safety grant.

Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA of Utah, says educational campaigns have proven to make a difference in public behaviors.

"I think one of the things you see more of is people wearing seat belts and using car seats because of education," Fairclough said.

UDOT anticipates it has enough funding to run its "Zero Fatalities" campaign for at least three years. The agency wants to keep it going indefinitely. According to Hull, only two other states have similar campaigns: Washington and Minnesota.

In February, UDOT began running a series of radio and television advertisements to promote having zero fatalities. Current spots are meant to send the message that any person can be killed in a road accident, Hull said.

"We need to remind people that they are vulnerable when they go out on the roadway," he said. "People's behaviors can contribute to themselves, family members or friends being killed. We've got to combat that complacency."

For more information about UDOT's "Zero Fatalities" campaign, go to www.zerofatalities.com.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com