Two hundred seventy-five lives were lost on Utah roads in 2015 and the Utah Department of Transportation wants to bring that number down.
UDOT reported 86 lives were lost in 2015 because people were not buckled up. This makes up about a third of the lives lost on Utah roads last year. UDOT's Executive Director Carlos Braceras said there is a seatbelt law that went into effect in May 2015 that will help bring the 2016 fatality count down. Prior to the enactment of a law stating failure to buckle up as a primary offense, a person could be cited for not wearing a seatbelt if they were pulled over for another violation.
"Year over year what we have seen is that about 50 percent of our fatalities — when we take out pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists — can be attributed to people being unrestrained. Last year we had 83 percent of the Utahns were buckled up, so 17 percent of those are making up almost 50 percent of our fatalities year over year," Braceras said.
Failing to buckle up may be perceived as a personal decision but it poses a danger to others in your vehicle and on the road, UDOT spokesman John Gleason said.
"You can become a projectile and strike and kill other people in the vehicle," Gleason said. "You can also be thrown out of your seat and lose control of your vehicle which puts you as a danger to everyone else on the road."
In 2012, Utah saw the lowest amount of fatalities over the last decade: 217; since then, the state has experienced an upward trend towards 275 fatalities.
Other factors accounting for lives lost on Utah roads last year include drowsy driving (14), distracted driving (27), aggressive driving (64) and alcohol/drug impaired driving (75), all contributing to an upward trend in fatalities since 2012.
In 2012, Utah saw the lowest amount of fatalities over the last decade: 217; since then, the state has experienced an upward trend towards 275 fatalities. From 2000 to 2012, Utah seemed to be heading in a very consistent direction towards safer driving, Braceras said, expressing disappointment over the 2012 to 2015 increase.
"To see three years in a row now with an increasing number, we're concerned and a little frustrated that it's turning in the wrong direction, so we're very focused on wanting to see that trend continue in that downward direction," Braceras said.
While the ultimate goal is zero fatalities, Utah has already seen 11 road-related deaths in January, including four pedestrian fatalities.
