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‘Not acceptable’: Utah traffic deaths surpassed 300 again in 2022

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‘Not acceptable’: Utah traffic deaths surpassed 300 again in 2022


An officer investigates a automotive crash that concerned 5 autos close to 450 S. 400 West in Salt Lake Metropolis on Aug. 12, 2022. Utah transportation officers stated 320 folks had been killed on Utah roads in 2022, the second most since 2002. (Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information)

Estimated learn time: 5-6 minutes

TAYLORSVILLE — The quantity of people that died on Utah roads decreased by 3.6% in 2022 in comparison with the earlier yr; however, the state’s visitors deaths stay the very best they’ve been in 20 years, in response to newly launched visitors knowledge.

In all, 320 folks died in traffic-related incidents final yr, in response to statistics launched by the Utah Division of Public Security and Utah Division of Transportation Thursday. That is a slight lower from 332 roadway fatalities in 2021. That stated, it marks the second-consecutive yr that deaths topped 300, a determine that beforehand hadn’t been seen within the state since 2003.

There have been 276 highway fatalities in 2020 after the variety of roadway deaths had fallen to 248 in 2019.

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“One startling takeaway from this final yr is what number of of our most susceptible highway customers’ lives had been misplaced,” stated UDOT spokesman John Gleason. “Everybody shares the highway, whether or not they’re driving, strolling, or using a motorbike or motorbike, and all highway customers have an equal accountability to be careful for each other.”

Utah’s highway fatality fee — a statistic that measures deaths per 100 million car miles traveled within the state — additionally dropped from 0.98 to 0.93, a 5.4% lower. It was 0.91 in 2020, although, the variety of car miles traveled dropped considerably that yr due to impacts associated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Altering traits in 2022

Whereas the variety of speed-related and impaired driving fatalities every dropped in 2022, motorbike, pedestrian, bicyclist and baby deaths all rose from the earlier yr. The departments’ report notes:

  • There have been 87 speed-related visitors deaths in 2022, down from 109 in 2021.
  • There have been 140 alcohol/drug-related visitors deaths, down from 157 the earlier yr.
  • The quantity of people that died as a result of they weren’t carrying a seat belt additionally declined in 2022, falling from 84 in 2021 to 73 in 2022.
  • Bike fatalities rose to 50 in 2022, up from 40 in 2021.
  • 53 pedestrians had been killed in visitors deaths, up from 45 within the earlier yr.
  • Bicycle-related visitors deaths rose from six in 2021 to fifteen in 2022.
  • There have been additionally 33 teen fatalities, in addition to 12 different baby fatalities in 2022, a small improve from the earlier yr. Mixed, there have been 40 teen and baby roadway deaths in 2021.

Among the state traits mirror nationwide traits. Advocates for Freeway and Auto Security notes that U.S. visitors deaths rose to a 16-year excessive of just about 43,000 folks in 2021. Knowledge from the primary half of 2022 signifies that numbers had been nonetheless rising throughout the nation, the group stated final month.

However, of all of the 2022 Utah traits, Gleason finds the rise of bike, bicycle and pedestrian deaths to be probably the most alarming, calling the figures for all three the very best in “current reminiscence.”

For example, the state has averaged 5.75 bicycle deaths per yr over the earlier 4 years, prior to fifteen in 2022. The variety of motorbike deaths is the very best over the previous 5 years, as nicely; the variety of baby fatalities (below age 10) is double the earlier yr, and the very best up to now 5 years.

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UDOT Director Carlos Braceras pledged in Could 2022 that the company would start new initiatives and supply funding to enhance road security alongside the Wasatch Entrance after six folks, together with 4 youngsters, had been killed inside two weeks of one another in separate pedestrian and bicycle-related crashes. A number of had been brought on by suspected impaired or rushing drivers.

“It is not acceptable,” Gleason stated, of the excessive figures. “It is one thing that we have to work (on) to enhance, and it is about watching out for one another.”

Discovering methods to make roads safer

UDOT now not views efficient car journey as the principle indicator of success, Gleason provides. As an alternative, company officers wish to concentrate on a number of modes of transportation — and security elements into that.

They stated Thursday that UDOT spends $4 million yearly on initiatives “particularly designed to enhance security and make entry simpler for these susceptible customers,” comparable to bicyclists and pedestrians. The state’s transportation fee additionally authorized 44 completely different initiatives aimed toward enhancing pedestrian security over the previous yr, comparable to new strolling and biking trails, bridges and bike lanes.

They add that they consider Gov. Spencer Cox’s proposed statewide trails community has the potential to supply “a protected and sustainable transportation choice” for pedestrians and bicyclists because the system is pieced collectively. The governor’s proposed 2024 fiscal yr funds requires $100 million to be put aside to get the undertaking rolling although, it is as much as the Utah Legislature to allocate the cash.

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“We do not measure success any longer on what number of autos we will transfer,” Gleason stated. “It is about transferring folks, and now we have to have that full image — that full outlook on the transportation system to achieve success and to get folks the place they are going safely.”

The Legislature may even mull new measures associated to highway security when the subsequent session begins on Jan. 17. For example, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, stated in September that she intends to file a invoice associated to distracted driving through the 2023 session.

Enhancements might come all the way down to elements past new initiatives and legal guidelines, although. Utah Freeway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden stated drivers ought to think about making New Yr’s resolutions to drive safer.

“Resolutions concentrate on making small adjustments over an extended time period to type habits and enhance high quality of life,” he stated Thursday. “These habits are fashioned by beginning with the basics.”

What are the fundamentals he recommends?

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  • At all times buckle up — and put on a seat belt correctly — irrespective of the driving distance or every other elements.
  • Watch your pace and abide by the pace restrict irrespective of the driving circumstances. At all times decelerate when roads are moist or icy.
  • Use your blinker whenever you change lanes.
  • Overview all the foundations of the highway.

Roden provides that oldsters train their youngsters “protected pedestrian habits,” comparable to carrying reflective gear and selecting a protected route to highschool. On the identical time, he says drivers ought to make a “particular effort” to come back to finish stops and concentrate whereas at intersections.

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers normal information, outdoor, historical past and sports activities for KSL.com. He beforehand labored for the Deseret Information. He’s a Utah transplant by the way in which of Rochester, New York.

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Utah Highway Patrol responds to your suggestions on making Utah roads safer

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Utah Highway Patrol responds to your suggestions on making Utah roads safer


SALT LAKE CITY — FOX 13 News is Driven to Change and that includes bringing you reports on important topics like road rage, construction, and wrong-way drivers. During our coverage, we continually ask for any questions or concerns you may have along Utah’s roadways.

The feedback has gotten an enormous response, so FOX 13 sat down with Lieutenant Cameron Roden on Good Day Utah to help address input we have been getting, from the perspective of Utah Highway Patrol.

Speeding in Utah, there’s so much of it, and then you can sometimes say that that leads to tailgating, which may lead to road rage incidents. What are you seeing out there in terms of speed and what can we do to lessen the effects of that?

Lt. Cameron Roden: Speed is our number one thing that we see. That’s our number one traffic stop that we make, and we know that it leads to the majority of crashes in the state of Utah. So we definitely put an emphasis on speed and it does lead to other things. Not just crashes. It leads to road rage and other things .So, as far as what changes can we make, we need to start with ourselves, and really say, ‘Hey, do I have a problem?’ You know, we just need to start with ourselves and not think that it’s something else’s problem. If we slow our speeds ourselves, and then it’ll start to to catch on and people will do that speed limit. So, but the legislature has definitely taken some steps to help us address, especially the the speeds that are those excessive speeds where we have that one zero five law now that addresses those speeds and increases fines and and hopefully discourages people from those extreme speeds.

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Some of our viewers talked about maybe capping some of the speed limits for truck drivers. Is that something that’s even feasible?

You know, that would be something that would have to go through that, that legislative process to see whether we that would be something that would help. But ultimately, if we we start with ourselves, hopefully that will make that change and reduce crashes and fatalities.

There are things being done to try and intervene and stop wrong-way drivers before they happen. But some of our viewers propose things like spikes. What are your thoughts on implementing something like that?

We’ve had over the last several years, a rash of wrong-way drivers, and it’ll come in onesie twos, and then we’ll go for a period of time without that. And so, but this spike over the last couple of years has caused us to to create a task force to look at wrongly driving what things can be done. And so getting all these stakeholders together between UDOT and Highway Safety, looking at what technologies and things that could be implemented, and and things like, wrong way detection cameras. Those are some things that are being actually used in the state of Utah right now to help us spot those and and advance signage, getting people to realize they’re going the wrong way and turn around. The the spike strips have actually been talked about in our task force a little bit. And if something like that would even be, it is that technology available right now. And as what we could actually implement in the state of Utah, there’s nothing that really fits the bill right now because of our environment. We have our snow plows. We have snow and things like that. Something like that really wouldn’t be practical right now.

Probably the most talked about topic that we’ve received was distracted driving, texting while driving. You went out, I saw on the UHP social media page, that you guys just driving and you look to your right and left and you can find someone texting. What kind of enforcement do we have against distracted driving specifically on your phone?

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This is something that we like you said, we see it every day. We go out to crashes,and and we may suspect that a driver may be distracted. And so, it’s something that’s definitely under-reported. It’s it’s a bigger problem than than the numbers really show.And so not only do we address it during our normal patrols.Our officers are seeing it, and addressing it while they’re out there.But we’ll also do targeted patrols where the highway safety office actually gives out additional funds for that targeted enforcement, where we’ll get an unmarked vehicle. We go out driving down the roads where we try to spot these vehicles and and get them stopped because those are those are a big danger on our roadways where our attention and our focus needs to be on driving.

If you have ideas or suggestions for how to make Utah’s roadways safer click here to be taken to our Driven to Change form. There you can share your ideas or suggestions.

DRIVEN TO CHANGE

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Utah National Guard gets new, top-of-the-line Apache helicopters

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Utah National Guard gets new, top-of-the-line Apache helicopters


WEST JORDAN, Utah — The Utah National Guard has been serving the state since 1894 with roots dating back to the Minutemen of the 17th-century American colonies.

This weekend, they received quite the boost in the form of the Army’s most advanced attack helicopter.

“These aircraft are extremely fast compared to our other aircraft,” said Col. Patrick.

On Saturday, the Utah National Guard took their new Apache helicopters for a spin.

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“The flight went better than we could have hoped for. A little weather on the east coast, but after that, it wasn’t bad at all,” Patrick said.

The first four of 24 Apaches arrived early Saturday morning after they went under full inspection.

“They’ve got software on there that it’s like playing a video game. You just fly the video game and the airplane… is fast and smooth, which is the good thing, and so it’ll just hold the altitude and airspeed and just keep on trucking along. It’s pretty good,” Patrick said.

The first Apache helicopters arrived in Utah back in 1992.

“It just continues the legacy of the air pirates and what we bring to not only Utah, but really to the global fight and security, really,” Patrick added.

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The colonel calls it a major step forward.

“What a great day for Utah as we advance into the next couple decades of combat operations and what we can provide to, you know, the global security.”





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Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Utah Hockey Club – Game #21 Preview, Projected Lines & TV Info

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Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Utah Hockey Club – Game #21 Preview, Projected Lines & TV Info


The depth continues to be tested as the bodies keep dropping out of the lineup up front. Tonight, a resilient Maple Leafs team is seeking its fourth consecutive win as Alex Nylander debuts on an all-Marlies line against a tired 8-9-2 Utah Hockey Club (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).


Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs vs. Utah

In the 2024-25 regular season statistics, Utah holds the advantage in three out of five offensive categories and three out of five defensive categories.


Game Day Quotes

Craig Berube on what he learned from the pre-scout of Utah’s 6-1 win over Pittsburgh last night: 

The power play was good. They got three. They’re fast, and they have a lot of skill. They make a lot of plays — a lot of west-west plays — and get up the ice really well. Their D are involved.

We have to check well tonight. We have to stay out of the penalty box. Our PK is going to be important.

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Overall, we need to take time and space away from this team right out of the offensive zone. Be hard on them breaking plays up. That will be very important tonight.

Berube on the decision to start Joseph Woll over Anthony Stolarz tonight: 

[Woll] had a really good game against Vegas. We are just thinking ahead here. Stolly has played a lot. We have some time here. He is working in practice and doing a lot of good things.

That’s really it. We just talk about things and make decisions on what we think is best for the goalies and the team.

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I talked earlier about how both goalies are going to see more net than they have in the past. It is important that we manage it to the best of our abilities.

Woll is coming off a real solid game against a real good team. We wanted to go back with him.

Berube on what improvements he is looking for from his team offensively after a week of practice: 

Attacking more than we are. There are times when we tend to just control the play a little bit too much on the outside. We could attack more with more shots to the net, get pucks low to high, and do more on-and-off shooting while getting people to the net with numbers around there.

Resets to the back of the net, making quick plays out of there, doing things a little bit quicker, moving it quicker, supporting it quicker, and getting more pucks to the net than we are.

Berube on why Fraser Minten is so trustworthy despite his lack of experience: 

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It goes back to a great draft pick, finding a player who is so responsible at a young age. You guys aren’t on the bench, but just hearing him talk on the bench and how he sees the game, he says all the right things.

You don’t see young guys do that very often. He is already doing it at a very young age with very little experience. It is great to see. It’s refreshing. It really is.

Minten on the keys to success for his line with Nikita Grebenkin and Alex Nylander:

We just have to be simple with pucks and forecheck, using our speed to get pucks back on the forecheck. From there, let the skill make things happen. Those guys are really good when they get it back, so we have to make sure we are forechecking hard to retrieve pucks, and we’ll go from there.

Minten on the keys to success in the net-front role on the top power-play unit: 

Try not to overcomplicate it too much. Get the goalie’s eyes, get in sight lines, try to get pucks back, get some tips, get some screens, and cause a little chaos. You can draw a defender with you. If you’re going backdoor, you give them a little more space. Be ready for anything coming to you. They are great players, so just try to read off of them, and hopefully, it goes well.

Minten on his experience level in front of the net on the power play: 

In junior, I was mostly a flank guy with the puck more, but last year, I kind of got into it more at the end of the year, and I have been playing that role with the Marlies every game so far this year.

Minten on Morgan Rielly’s guidance at the NHL level: 

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He has been amazing. We have a lot in common, being from the same place. He took me under his wing a little bit and has been super nice. It makes it easy when you are coming in at 18 or 19 and there is a guy who comes to talk to you and is a really nice, supportive guy and friend. He has been awesome.


Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines

Forwards
#74 Bobby McMann — #91 John Tavares — #16 Mitch Marner
#89 Nick Robertson— #29 Pontus Holmberg — #88 William Nylander
#71 Nikita Grebenkin  — #39 Fraser Minten — #92 Alex Nylander
#46 Alex Steeves — #24 Connor Dewar — #18 Steven Lorentz

Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #8 Chris Tanev
#44 Morgan Rielly — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
#2 Simon Benoit — #25 Conor Timmins

Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#41 Anthony Stolarz

Extras: Jani Hakanpää, Philippe Myers
Suspended: Ryan Reaves (four games remaining)
Injured (IR): Auston Matthews, Max Domi, Matthew Knies
Injured (LTIR): Calle Jarnkrok, Dakota Mermis, Max Pacioretty, David Kampf


Utah Hockey Club Projected Lines

Forwards
#9 Clayton Keller — #27 Barrett Hayton — #8 Nick Schmaltz
#22 Jack McBain — #92 Logan Cooley — #11 Dylan Guenther
#63 Matias Maccelli — #17 Nick Bjugstad — #67 Lawson Course
#15 Alex Kerfoot — #82 Kevin Stenlund — #53 Michael Carcone

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Defensemen
#98 Mikhail Sergachev — #2 Olli Maata
#28 Ian Cole — #10 Maveric Lamoureux
#7 Michael Kesselring — #41 Robert Bortuzzo

Goaltenders
Starter: #70 Karel Vejmelka
Jayson Stauber

Injured: Sean Durzi, John Marino, Connor Ingram

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