This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Speeding, distracted, impaired and seatbelt-shunning drivers are once more making Memorial Day to Labor Day period what the Utah Highway Patrol calls the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer."
UHP Col. Michael Rapich notes that as of Tuesday, troopers had recorded 58 fatalities on the state's freeways and highways. The recent Pioneer Day holiday weekend was especially deadly, with seven fatalities logged during the July 22-25 period.
Last Friday, a woman died when her car drifted off State Route 36 and rolled in Tooele County, with excessive speed blamed; On Saturday, a speeding motorcyclist was killed when he failed to negotiate a curve on Little Hole Road in Daggett County; and on Sunday, another speeding motorcyclist died when he, too, lost control on a curve on State Route 89 in Cache County.
On Monday, four more people died and several others were injured in crashes. A vehicle drifted off Interstate 80 in Tooele County and rolled, killing the ejected a male driver, believed impaired, and injuring three passengers; two people died after being ejected from a rolling pickup truck on Interstate 84 in Box Elder County, with distracted driving blamed; and yet another motorcyclist died when he apparently took a curve on State Route 65 in Morgan County too fast, going off the road and rolling.
Rapich especially stressed the importance of always wearing a seat belt, along with simply slowing down — and paying attention to the road.
"If you are not wearing it, it could prove to be deadly. It is possible that tragedy may have been avoided [in these crashes] had seat belts been used," he stated. "Drivers need to slow down [and] be aware of their surroundings when driving."
In 2015, UHP recorded 111 fatalities during the summer months, the fifth year in a row the number of "100 Days of Summer" deaths had risen.
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