Troopers pull over 8,933 in a holiday blitz

Memorial Day meant another busy weekend for the Utah Highway Patrol, as troopers emphasized a seat-belt enforcement campaign.

By the time the weekend was over, troopers throughout the state had issued 2,658 citations to travelers who were not buckled up.

The Highway Patrol began its Memorial Day blitz on May 18, and the effort ran through Memorial Day. In all, troopers across the state pulled over a total of 8,933 vehicles.

On top of the citations, 1,344 people were given seat-belt warnings, and more than 200 people received child-restraint citations or warnings.

"One of the reasons we publicize these things is because we are interested in public safety," trooper Cameron Roden said. "We don't do this for revenue. Our goal is not to give out tickets. It's to get compliance from the public to wear their seat belts."

The areas that were the busiest over the weekend included Salt Lake City (412 citations), Ogden (318), St. George (190), Moab (180) and Orem (179).

While troopers were out in full force, there were still four fatal accidents throughout the state over the long weekend. That number is down from the recent average of five fatal accidents over the Memorial Day weekend.

Two of the accidents involved motorcyclists, one of whom was not wearing a helmet, and the other two accidents involved motorists who were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from their vehicles.

"The outcome could have possibly been a lot different if they were buckled up," Roden said.

The Highway Patrol also participated in two DUI checkpoints, as well as DUI saturation patrols, in Salt Lake and Weber counties. The complete numbers from those events were still being compiled Tuesday, but Roden said the preliminary numbers were that there were about 79 DUI arrests over the weekend.

"A good number of officers showed up to participate in the DUI checkpoints and blitzes," Roden said. "It would be nice if there was no one out there driving while they are impaired, but we want to be out there to make sure drivers who are impaired are off the road."

E-MAIL: ethomas@desnews.com