This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

More people than ever are gearing up for travel during the July Fourth weekend, and police are trying to ensure they all come home safely.

Of the 3.1 million people in the Intermountain West who plan to travel, about 2.5 million will be driving, a news release from AAA said.

AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough predicted 2016 will be a "record-breaking year for summertime travel," due to economic growth, increased disposable income and lower prices.

Meanwhile, police know the Fourth of July as the deadliest holiday weekend of the year, due to speeding, drunken driving and failure to properly wear seat belts, newly appointed Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich said at a Wednesday news conference.

UHP troopers understand, firsthand, the risks that come with higher levels of traffic and the importance of their job, Rapich said.

"Every single trooper in the Utah Highway Patrol knows what our job is. They are out there to keep people safe," Rapich said. "They are the ones that have got to go and respond when tragedy happens, and horrible things have happened on the freeway. They are the ones that have to go and make notification to family members and tell them that someone is not coming home."

During the weekend, 43 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home, according to Fairclough, which is a 1.3 percent bump from 2015. The 3.1 million Utah travelers show a 2 percent jump from last year.

Last year, Utah roads averaged 127.7 crashes per day on the Independence Day weekend, according to a UHP news release.

Speed limits are crafted based on engineering data, Rapich said, and he hopes UHP's unmarked cars, which were unveiled two weeks ago, will make speeders and aggressive drivers think twice, especially along the Wasatch Front.

On average during the past 10 years, the July Fourth weekend is also responsible for the highest rate of fatalities per day involving drunken drivers, the UHP release said.

AAA will offer their Tipsy Tow Program — a free tow up to 10 miles for those who are intoxicated and shouldn't drive — from 6 p.m. on July 4 to 6 a.m. on July 5 in Utah, Northern California and Nevada, Fairclough said. Members and nonmembers alike can call 800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for the free public service.

"Just tell the AAA operator, 'I need a Tipsy Tow,' and a truck will be on its way," Fairclough said. "Service is restricted to a one-way ride for the driver and his or her vehicle to the driver's home."

There is "absolutely no excuse" for driving while intoxicated, Rapich said.

Wearing seat belts will also dramatically decrease travelers' risk of fatality, he said.

"Almost 40 percent of people who die in a motor vehicle crash aren't wearing their seat belt," Rapich said. "If you reduce that down to just people that are occupants of a motor vehicle — eliminate motorcycles, eliminate pedestrians, people that wouldn't have the option of wearing a seat belt — that number rises to over 50 percent."

Trooper Andy Battenfield made 350 seat belt-related traffic stops last year, the most of any UHP trooper.

Battenfield has seen "a lot" of rollover crashes, in which occupants who were properly buckled in, come out with just a few scratches, he said. But he's also seen "the exact same" type of crash cause death for people who weren't properly restrained by a seat belt and were ejected.

UHP troopers don't have a quota of how many stops they need to make, Battenfield said, though stops are proof they're working. Reducing and eliminating fatalities is really the No. 1 goal of the UHP, Rapich said.

"And the second goal is to keep our troopers safe and get them home at the end of every shift," he added.

Rapich ­— who was named by Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Keith Squires on June 20, the same day Col. Daniel Fuhr announced his retirement — said he's "very humbled, excited, a little bit nervous but really enthusiastic" about his new appointment.

Rapich brings 24 years of law enforcement experience to his position, with more than 17 years serving in a supervisory capacity, according to another UHP news release. He comes from a family of troopers with his father dedicating 32 years to UHP before retiring as a captain.

Rapich enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after graduating from Green River High School and served as a motor lifeboat coxswain, the release said. After his Coast Guard service, Rapich graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Columbia College.

Both rural and urban Utah communities have served as home to Rapich as he has rose the UHP ranks.

He was one of the first members of the UHP DUI squad when it was established in 1994, the release said. Rapich also served as bureau commander of the State Bureau of Investigations, followed by a six-year term as major of the Highway Patrol.

Rapich served as deputy commander for the Homeland Security Task Force during the 2002 Winter Olympics, the release said.

In 2010, Col. Rapich graduated from the FBI's National Academy, according to the release. He also graduated from the Northwestern School of Staff and Command. He has also recently earned a master's degree in public administration degree from Brigham Young University.

"I can't think of a greater opportunity to serve the state of Utah," Rapich said.

Twitter: @mnoblenews —

New UHP colonel

Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich — who was named by Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Keith Squires on June 20, the same day Col. Daniel Fuhr announced his retirement — said he's "very humbled, excited, a little bit nervous but really enthusiastic" about his new appointment.

Rapich brings 24 years of law enforcement experience to his position, with more than 17 years serving in a supervisory capacity, according to another UHP news release. He comes from a family of troopers with his father dedicating 32 years to the UHP before retiring as a captain.

Rapich enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after graduating from Green River High School and served as a motor lifeboat coxswain, the release said. After his Coast Guard service, Rapich graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Columbia College.

Both rural and urban Utah communities have served as home to Rapich as he has rose the UHP ranks.

He was one of the first members of the UHP DUI squad when it was established in 1994, the release said. Rapich also served as bureau commander of the State Bureau of Investigations, followed by a six-year term as major of the Highway Patrol.

Rapich served as Deputy commander for the Homeland Security Task Force during the 2002 Winter Olympics, the release said.

In 2010, Col. Rapich graduated from the FBI's National Academy, according to the release. He also graduated from the Northwestern School of Staff and Command. He has also recently earned a master's degree in public administration degree from Brigham Young University.

"I can't think of a greater opportunity to serve the state of Utah," Rapich said Wednesday.