Data shows 2021 the deadliest year on roads since 2002
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- Carlos Braceras, director of the Utah Department of Transportation, speaks at a press conference in West Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022.
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- Col. Mike Rapich of the Utah Highway Patrol speaks at a press conference in West Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022.
Standing in front of signs and placards illustrating data collected by the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Highway Patrol, leaders from the two organizations announced Wednesday there were 320 deaths on the roads in 2021.
The deaths, according to UDOT Director Carlos Braceras, were the most in a single year in Utah since 2002. There had been fewer than 300 deaths every year since 2004.
“Our roads have never been safer, our cars have never been safer. Our driving behaviors can be a lot safer,” Braceras said.
Col. Mike Rapich of Utah Highway Patrol spoke to members of the media about the importance of active decision-making for drivers — not just while driving, but also thinking about whether or not they should be on the road in the first place.
According to the preliminary data, 120 of the year’s fatalities were directly due to impaired driving.
“We’ve seen an increase in impaired drivers, we’ve seen an increase in speed-related fatalities, we’ve seen an increase in young driver-related fatalities,” Rapich said.
According to the preliminary data, the 2021 fatalities involved:
- 81 speed-related fatalities (85 in 2020)
- 120 impaired drivers (138 in 2020)
- 30 teen fatalities (22 in 2020)
- 74 unrestrained fatalities (64 in 2020)
The roadway deaths also occurred mostly on dry roads, they said. Making up the 320 fatalities were 233 motorists, 44 pedestrians, 37 motorcyclists and six bicyclists.
Rapich also added that Highway Patrol troopers have seen a statewide increase in violations of people driving at extreme speeds of 100 mph and higher.
In 2017-2019, there was an average of nearly 3,000 contacts per year between UHP and drivers going over 100 mph. In 2020, the number jumped over 5,100 and in 2021 dropped slightly to over 4,700 incidents, according to Rapich.
“People have a false sense of security,” he said, pointing out the increased amenities, luxury and comfort found in modern automobiles.
Braceras and Rapich said one way to reduce roadway fatalities in the future is simple and found in every car — seatbelts. According to Braceras, it was recorded in 2019 that over 90% of Utah drivers were using their seatbelts. That number dropped slightly in 2021 to over 88%.
The data on seatbelt usage was collected by the Highway Safety Office, Zero Fatalities and other contractors by doing roadway surveys from specific locations around the state, looking into cars and seeing if people were wearing seatbelts.
“They are the ones dying in 1 out of 3 crashes. That is so incredibly disproportionate. If there’s one place we can say that has a huge impact, that’s it,” Rapich said.
Braceras added that there was an approximately 55% increase in fatalities and serious injuries over the two years seatbelt usage dropped in the state.
Breaking down the numbers further, he said the 12% of drivers not wearing seatbelts represent approximately 32% of the fatalities.
Kristen Hoschouer, project manager for Zero Fatalities, also spoke Wednesday. Zero Fatalities, the joint project between UHP and UDOT, hopes to encourage safe driving with its annual education campaign, which will start in mid-January. The campaign will be spread across television, billboards, social media and more.
In the end, backed with data and information, Braceras pleaded with the public to drive safer.
“Driving is probably the most dangerous thing any of us do each and every day. But at the same time, we have more control over ourselves on the roadway than we have over many other things in our lives,” Braceras said. “Let’s make 2022 an amazing year. Let’s make it the safest year on Utah roads.”
Up-to-date charts, graphs and data can be found online at zerofatalities.com/statistics.