Addressing the 100 Deadliest Days and Urging Responsible Driving
Now that the Memorial Day Holiday is over and everyone has safely returned home, it’s time to have a conversation about road safety and the 100 Deadliest Days.
What are the 100 Deadliest Days? It’s the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when road fatalities in Utah are at their highest. In fact, Utah’s road fatalities are at the highest levels ever, and certainly higher than the last two decades. In 2022 there were 121 fatal car accidents. In 2021 there were 143 fatal car accidents. In 2020 there were 113 fatal car accidents.
SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE:
It’s on all of us to do something.
In April 2022, Deputy Brian Adams with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle traveling over Trapper’s Loop late at night. The vehicle was clocked at 117 MPH. Deputy Adams could not catch the vehicle since his patrol vehicle was limited to a speed of 100 MPH.
However, Deputy Adams radioed ahead to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, and they were able to stop the car.
The driver was issued a citation and released. The vehicle was impounded on site.
Weeks later the same car was traveling over the North Ogden Divide late at night at speeds of over 80 MPH. The speed limit on North Ogden Divide Road is 30 MPH.
This time the results were catastrophic.
The driver lost control of his car and careened off of the divide into the canyon below. The driver walked away with minor injuries, but his female passenger was not so lucky—she was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
Since 2019 the Utah Highway Patrol has stopped and cited over 8,000 drivers traveling over 100 MPH on Utah roadways. This problem became so dire that in 2022 Utah’s Legislature passed Senate Bill 53. SB 53 is a new law stating that anyone traveling over 105 MPH may be charged with reckless driving.
This summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, anyone stopped in Weber County traveling over 105 MPH or double the speed limit will be arrested and booked into jail for reckless driving. The vehicle will also be impounded.
While law enforcement and legislators are doing their part to enforce these new laws, it’s up to all of us to do our part too. No one needs to go double the speed limit. We all know the deadly consequences of too much speed. Let’s all do our part to make sure that everyone is arriving home safely, or wherever their destinations might be.
THE ROAD TO ZERO FATALITIES
We can reach our ultimate goal and it all starts with you. Drive the way that keeps you and your loved ones safe. Learn about the five safe driving behaviors and what you can do to be a better driver.
