Officials urging safety on the roads through long holiday weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — Going into a holiday weekend, when some of the highest numbers of accidents occur, the Utah Department of Transportation wants to remind drivers to be safe.

Not to mention, it will help keep up a better-than-last-year roadway fatalities record.

"We must remember that even one fatality is one too many," said Robert Hull, UDOT traffic and safety director. Utah has been pushing a Zero Fatalities campaign for several years now.

In the first six months of 2011, fewer Utahns died on Utah roadways than did last year in the same time frame. However, since the end of June, 12 traffic-related fatalities have occurred.

Thirty-eight of those deaths have happened since Memorial Day, in the time period that traffic safety officials have dubbed "the 100 deadliest days" of summer. Of the 103 people who have died, 69 were male victims and 34 were female. The majority of those people — 33 — died because they were not wearing seat belts, according to a UDOT report.

The next leading cause of traffic-related fatalities this year has been speeding, as 24 people have died in cars moving too fast for conditions or above the posted speed limits. Impaired driving has resulted in 21 deaths on Utah roads this year, while three people have been killed when fatigue was involved and five died from distracted driving. Seventeen died from other causes.

"As you're traveling or just out driving over the Pioneer Day holiday, remember to buckle up and avoid the behaviors that most commonly cause crashes — distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving and speeding," Hull said.

With more people on the roads, heading every which way for summer recreation and other events, the 100 deadliest days run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Last year, three people died on Utah roadways during Pioneer Day weekend. This year, because the holiday falls on a Sunday, there is actually one more day for officials to worry about.

On a positive note, the numbers are trending downward. Last year, 234 people died on Utah's roads, the lowest in 36 years. Nationally, about 35 percent fewer traffic-related deaths happened in 2010 than just 10 years ago.

Educational campaigns, which have been beefed up over the years, and tighter regulations can accept only part of the credit for the decrease.