This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After years of a steady decline in deaths on Utah's roads, fatalities have been rising this year — and it is mainly because of an increasing number of victims among motorcycle riders and pedestrians, the Utah Transportation Commission was told Friday.

That led to a discussion about whether the state should mandate wearing helmets.

The Utah Department of Transportation reported Friday that the state had 187 highway deaths through September, up by 23 from the same period last year.

Motorcycle deaths were up by eight from last year, and pedestrian deaths were up by 11 — accounting for most of the increase.

UDOT Operations Manager Jason Davis said about half the 35 motorcycle fatality victims this year were wearing helmets. "But do they help? Absolutely," he said, adding they save many lives.

UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said if anyone does not believe that, "listen to the passion of the Highway Patrol and our first responders" who see many deaths where motorcyclists may have been saved by helmets.

"I have been the first to respond to a scene, and it never leaves you," Braceras said.

"I've ridden motorcycles most of my adult life," Commissioner Wayne Barlow said. "I'm amazed at how many people I see riding without helmets. And these are not kids. These are older men and women who should know better…. It's stupid."

He added, "I wish we could put together an education program that would have some impact," but said education alone doesn't seem to do much. Commissioner Gayle McKeachnie agreed, and said a change in law might not help either.

Davis said that while not wearing helmets plays a part in the number of motorcycle fatalities, speeding may have an even greater role. Of eight Utah motorcycle deaths in September, speeding was the major contributor in six, he said.

If history repeats, motorcycle deaths should plummet in the next few months, Davis added, because winter stops most people from riding them.

The Utah Legislature has debated mandatory helmet laws several times through the years, but rejected them amid opposition from some motorcyclists and groups that say such laws interfere too much with personal freedom. —

UDOT to study Ogden Canyon traffic

The two-lane highway through Ogden Canyon is unusually narrow and winding for a main corridor to such recreation spots as Pineview Reservoir and the nearby ski resorts.

So the Utah Department of Transportation said Friday it is launching a $200,000 study to find options to rework the roadway to handle traffic, and demands from bicyclers and pedestrians.

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell praised the new study, and said the canyon has become a major corridor for people from all over the Wasatch Front seeking to reach recreation areas.

Lee Davidson