Utah road fatalities down slightly in 2022; pedestrian deaths increase
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- Utah Department of Transportation Public Relations Director John Gleason discusses road fatalities during a press conference at the Calvin Rampton Complex in Taylorsville on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
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- Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden discusses road fatalities during a press conference at the Calvin Rampton Complex in Taylorsville on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
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- The Utah Highway Patrol logo is displayed on the wall behind Utah Department of Transportation Public Relations Director John Gleason as he discusses road fatalities during a press conference at the Calvin Rampton Complex in Taylorsville on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
The Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Highway Patrol jointly released their road fatality numbers for 2022 on Thursday, showing an increase in pedestrian and small children deaths with decreases across almost all other statistical categories.
The total information, while preliminary, includes data collected from across the state to show 320 fatalities on Utah roads in 2022, down from 332 in 2021 but still above totals from 2020 and years prior. According to a release, 2022 fatalities included:
- 243 males (76%) and 77 females (24%).
- 33 teens.
- 12 children (ages 0-9).
- 87 cases in which speed was a factor.
- 140 incidents related to drugs or alcohol.
- 73 unrestrained occupants.
As for the circumstances of those killed, significantly fewer people were themselves behind the wheels. Of the 320 fatalities, 202 were motorists (compared to 241 in 2021), 53 were pedestrians (45 in 2021), 50 were motorcyclists (40 in 2021) and 15 were bicyclists (six in 2021).
“Those are the people that are most exposed, most susceptible if something bad happens. If a crash happens, those are the people that end up losing most of the time because they are the least protected,” said Sgt. Cameron Roden, UHP public information officer. “This year, we will definitely focus on those vulnerable road users, and we have throughout 2022 as we started to see this problem emerge.”
Roden added that there were a variety of reasons for pedestrian-involved incidents, including speed and distracted driving, while Jason Mettmann, Highway Safety Office communications manager, pointed to crosswalks as an area where people should pay more attention.
“We’re all using these same roadways together, whether you’re a motorcyclist, a pedestrian, a bicyclist or a motorist. We’re all using the roadways together and each of us have to do our part. We can’t assume that it’s the other person’s responsibility to look out for one person or another,” Roden said.
This increase in nonmotorist fatalities came as more nonvehicle projects are being undertaken in the state, according to UDOT public relations director John Gleason.
Gleason highlighted the approval of 44 pedestrian-focused projects by the transportation commission in the last year including walking/biking trails, pedestrian bridges, bike lanes and more.
“Those type of things are going to ensure that people have the opportunity and that they get to where they’re going safely. We don’t measure our success any longer on how many vehicles we can move, it’s about moving people,” Gleason said.
For a reason why death tolls remain high, Gleason pointed repeatedly at aggressive driving and individual risk-taking. Specifically, he used it as a reference point for why more road fatalities were males as opposed to females in 2022.
“It’s usually that way, but this year it was much more pronounced. A message to our male drivers, folks like me, we need to take our foot off the gas and we need to really focus on calm driving,” Gleason said.
Gleason and Roden both encouraged drivers to be more aware of others and any high-risk behaviors they themselves may exhibit while driving.
“We need to focus on those small things. First thing you need to do when you get in the car, put on your seatbelt. If speed is your problem, focus on how fast you’re driving — commit to being a calm driver. There’s too much aggression on our roads right now,” Gleason said. “Focus on that one area and it will pay huge dividends on our roads and create a bigger culture of safety.”
The speed-related fatalities, while down from 109 in 2021 to 87 this past year, still reflect a trend of drivers hitting high speeds. Roden reported there were over 6,300 contacts between UHP and high-speed drivers in 2022.
Data showed a doubling in the number of small children, age 9 and below, who died in road fatalities. In 2022, there were 12 such deaths compared to six in 2021, two in 2020 and seven in 2019. Gleason called the information “heartbreaking,” adding that they “pay the price for somebody else’s mistakes.”
While there were fewer zero-fatality days last year (158) compared to the year before (166), overall deaths still decreased. Roden partially attributed this to fewer major incidents that resulted in multiple casualties.
The information released was not all negative, as Roden and Gleason mentioned an increase in people wearing their seat belts to about 92% of drivers. In years past, the number ranged from the high 80s to about 91%. This, Roden said, translated directly to the lowering of fatalities by unrestrained drivers.
“If we can keep those numbers high, it gives us the best chance if a crash does occur,” he said.
According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an interest group focused on road safety, Utah’s highway safety laws are in the “caution” category.
The group’s 2022 report, released in December, estimates an annual cost of $2.238 billion due to motor vehicle crashes in the state. The report suggests Utah needs additional legislation, suggesting the state adopt an all-rider motorcycle helmet law, rear facing through age 2 or older law, 70 hours of supervised driving provision and more.
The group’s grade reflects Utah laws and actions taken by the state Legislature, rather than incident data like that released on Thursday. This leaves UHP, UDOT and others in positions to advocate for individual safety measures.
“Ultimately, it comes to the legislation, whether people want to pass those things and have (them be) part of our culture here in Utah. But we want to make sure that we give people the information they need,” Roden said.
He encouraged parents of teen drivers in particular to utilize resources made available by Zero Fatalities so they’re prepared when they receive a driver’s license.