The Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a $20 million grant to Utah.

Drivers of snow plows, public transportation buses, and other government-operated vehicles are using technology that can direct traffic lights to change in order to improve safety and travel time.

Under the “Saving Lives and Connectivity: Accelerating V2X Deployment” program, Utah will receive $20 million of the $60 million that is aimed to improve vehicle technologies. The other $40 million will go to Texas and Arizona.

“Connecting vehicles and infrastructure is a great way for us to be able to take advantage of technology to help improve safety and other outcomes. And Utah’s DOT has been a leader in this space for a long time,” Shailen Bhatt, US Federal Highway Administrator said.

UDOT will use this $20 million to fund projects in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, where each state represents different population concentrations and transportation facilities.

Bhatt says protecting personal private information can be one of the challenges when using these types of technology.

“So we will want people to understand what is being exchanged is called a basic safety message of DSM. The vehicle is going to report to the intersection that I’m approaching, and the intersection is going to report back ‘oh, the light is about to turn red or my light is red’, but it’s all anonymous data,” Bhatt said.

The technology is being used in Salt Lake City, where travel time reliability and bus performance have improved.

“It is unequivocal that when you deploy technology, we are able to reduce crashes, we’re able to reduce congestion, we’re able to reduce the amount of time people sit in traffic, and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from our system. And we look forward to more investments being made on the basis of the data that we get from this initial deployment,” Bhatt said.

Seven members of a youth group hiking in Utah were transported to hospitals on Thursday after lightning struck the ground near them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youth group from Salina, Utah, were in the eastern part of Sevier County around 1:45pm local time when a light rain began and the lightning hit, Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said in a statement. “Approximately 50 youth felt the shock of the lightning,” Curtis said, adding that seven of the young people had “medical concerns due to the electrocution,” per the AP.

Two of the victims had serious symptoms and were flown by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, Utah. Five others were transported by ambulance to Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield and Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, Curtis said. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to Curtis, who said the other hikers were returned to their families in Salina, about 140 miles south of Salt Lake City. (A man trying to warn kids was killed by a lightning strike on a New Jersey beach.)

SEVIER COUNTY, Utah – Seven members of a youth group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were hospitalized Thursday after lightning struck near their hiking trail in south-central Utah.

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said a group of around 50 members were near an area known as Fremont Junction when the sudden rainstorm happened around 1:45 p.m. local time.

“Two of the youth were experiencing some serious symptoms and were flown via medical helicopter to Primary children’s hospital in Lehi. The rest of the youth were taken to Gunnison hospital and Sevier Valley Hospital,” deputies stated.

All of the injuries were thought to be non-life threatening, and the rest of the members were transported safely off the hiking trail.

SOUTHWEST MONSOON SEASON SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE AFTER SLUGGISH START

Authorities praised the swift response of multiple agencies involved in the remote rescue operation.

The thunderstorm that triggered the rainfall and the lightning us part of an uptick of the monsoon season that has been scarce across the region.

The Southwest monsoon season typically kicks off around June 15 and lasts through late September, but its activity varies dramatically year by year.

Some communities in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and West Texas see half of their annual precipitation during these months, which is vital for the replenishment of waterways.

Lightning often accompanies the strongest storms, which can spark wildfires where dry vegetation exists.

FOX Weather App photo of radar over Utah

(FOX Weather)

LIGHTNING FATALITIES WERE SECOND-LOWEST ON RECORD IN 2023, SAFETY COUNCIL SAYS

Every year, hundreds of millions of lightning bolts occur throughout the U.S. but only a handful become deadly.

Data compiled by the National Lightning Safety Council shows fishing is one of the top activities where most deaths occur.

In 2023, 14 people were killed by lightning strikes, with many taking part in outdoor sporting activities when thunder roared.