AASHTO Journal, 18 January 2013
Utah Department of Transportation experienced 215 traffic fatalities in 2012, a number that reflects a 42 percent decrease from the number of fatalities experienced in 2000, when 373 people died on Utah roadways. The number also continues UDOT’s downward trend in the state’s traffic deaths, which has seen 10 consecutive years of decline.
UDOT examined fatalities by type (such as pedestrian, motorcycle, aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, etc.), location of the fatalities (by county and road, separately), and holiday weekends. Overall, the number reached its lowest level in the last few decades.
According to UDOT officials, this could be attributed at least in part to UDOT’s Zero Fatalities program, an effort between the federal government, state agencies, and businesses to educate the public on five major factors that lead to roadway fatalities: drowsy driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving, impaired driving, and driving without a seat belt. Through that education, UDOT hopes to someday report zero roadway deaths in its annual fatality report.
Yet even though the number of fatalities has decreased, UDOT says it still has a lot of work to do in reaching that Zero Fatalities goal.
“We are very encouraged by the reduction in traffic fatalities from 2011,” said ODOT Traffic and Safety Director Robert Hull. “We believe the coordinated and integrated approach by UDOT and all of our traffic safety partners, as well as changes in driving behavior from the public, have contributed to this decline. While we are optimistic about the direction we’re heading, we will continue to do everything we can until we reach zero fatalities.”
UDOT’s full presentation on its 2012 fatality numbers, along with what those numbers mean in working toward its Zero Fatalities goal, is available at bit.ly/UDOT2012stats.