Utah
Utah traffic deaths fell in 2023; state targets road rage after ‘sharp’ spike in cases
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SALT LAKE CITY — The number of people who died on Utah roads fell again in 2023 after a large spike over the past three years. But an alarming rise in road rage cases also emerged that Utah transportation and safety leaders say they want to eliminate in 2024.
Last year, 279 people died on Utah roads, nearly a 13% decrease from the previous year, according to preliminary data released by the Utah Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety on Tuesday. The number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven also dropped from 0.93 to 0.80, the lowest since 2019.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson said the data included several other welcomed year-to-year declines, including a 22% drop in deaths tied to people not wearing seat belts, a 10% decline in speed-related deaths and a 6% decrease in impaired-related deaths, as well as drops in motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian deaths.
The number of children ages 0-9 who died in crashes dropped from 12 in 2022 to four in 2023, but the number of fatalities in children age 10 and older rose slightly from 32 to 38. It was about the only major increase last year.
The overall decrease in fatalities, Anderson says, is more than just a statistic.
“These are lives and lives that we are affecting anytime we can make a difference,” he said.
Utah’s roadway fatalities were on a downward trajectory before an uptick in 2020. Roadway fatalities reached 332 in 2021, which was, at the time, the first time that more than 300 people were killed on Utah roads since 2003. There was a slight 4% decrease in road fatalities in 2022 before an even larger drop last year.
Tackling road rage
While aggressive-related fatalities also fell, from 28 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, Anderson said police continue to see a “sharp increase” in aggressive driving behaviors that put other drivers and other roadway users at risk. This includes a rising number of cases involving weapons and intentional crashes.
“The issue with road rage is serious and it affects everyone on the road. It can lead to dangerous situations, crashes and increased stress when driving,” he said. “That type of aggression is not tolerated or allowed here in the state of Utah.”
To that end, UDOT and Department of Public Safety officials launched a new public service campaign that focuses solely on road rage after similar PSAs targeted other unsafe behaviors like speeding and impaired driving in recent years.
The new Blink of an Eye campaign, which will be promoted through various broadcast forms, encourages drivers to remain calm and patient on the roadways, while also highlighting the consequences of road rage behavior.
Kristen Hoschouer, UDOT’s safety outreach administrator, said the friends and family of Rodney Salm, a Salt Lake man who was killed when the vehicle he was driving was struck by another vehicle engaged in a reported road rage incident in Eagle Mountain last year, helped UDOT create the ad.
“This video illustrates some of the real-life ramifications that can happen when you engage in road rage behaviors,” Hoschouer said.
Officials note that mental health is often a key component in road rage cases. Depression, anxiety, fear and frustration are some of the emotions someone may feel when an incident — intentional or accidental — can spark anger and lead to road rage, said Amanda McNab, the quality improvement and training manager at the University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
The new campaign provides a handful of tips for drivers to consider when they begin to feel anger. These include:
- Take deep breaths and remind yourself to stay patient. McNab said this can allow enough time for someone to think about the consequences of certain actions, while also helping them cool down.
- Practice other relaxation techniques like tapping on a steering wheel or playing upbeat or calming music.
- Limit distractions to stay focused on the road.
- Avoid tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting off drivers or other aggressive driving behaviors that can provoke other drivers.
- Practice courtesy on the road and do not retaliate after an incident.
“We want to make sure that people on the roadways have the opportunity to release that in a positive way, utilizing some of the same coping skills that we suggest using when dealing with those same feelings and emotions outside of being in a car,” McNab said.
Road rage also figures to be one of the many topics handled during the upcoming legislative session. Utah lawmakers unveiled a proposal in November that calls for stiffer penalties for road rage cases. These include the possibility of license revocation.
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SALT LAKE CITY – The San Juan County assessor has resigned partway through his second term, following a recommendation that he be removed from office.
Rick Meyer’s resignation became effective on Monday, according to San Juan County Commissioner Lori Maughan. A copy of Meyer’s resignation letter was not immediately available.
This comes after the Utah State Tax Commission determined that Meyer had failed to follow the law and was “unfit to perform his duties.” In a letter last week to San Juan County commissioners, the tax commission recommended “the immediate removal of the San Juan County assessor from office to protect the public interest and restore the integrity of the property tax system in San Juan County.”
Among other things, Meyer was accused of failing to tax agricultural buildings, misclassifying property, and giving property tax exemptions to certain parcels, including vacant land, when he shouldn’t have.
The recommendation to remove Meyer from office was the first under a recent state law giving the Utah State Tax Commission more power to take corrective action against county assessors who aren’t doing their jobs properly. Assessors play a major role in the property tax process by determining the value of property throughout their counties.
Yet, it was unclear whether the San Juan County Commission could have actually removed Meyer from office had he not stepped down.
With Meyer’s resignation, the San Juan County Assessor’s Office has just one employee left. Deputy assessor Nathan Pitts will run the office until the San Juan County Republican Party recommends a replacement and the County Commission appoints one.
“It’s me holding down the fort here,” Pitts told KSL on Thursday, noting that he has spoken with the Utah Association of Counties and the state tax commission about plans for this interim period. “Everybody’s on board to assist and try to make it the best as we can, (but) I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me.”
Pitts said he does not plan to run for county assessor to replace his old boss.
“That is not my intention at all,” he said. “I’m quite content as a deputy assessor.”
Meyer was first elected as San Juan County assessor in 2020 and won reelection in 2024. His current term was set to conclude in 2029.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — The Rock Canyon Fire, burning in northern Arizona near the border with Utah, doubled in size overnight to 4,512 acres and was 5% contained.
The fire has caused firefighters to evacuate hikers and campers in the area, and some roads in the Kaibab National Forest are closed.
People in Jacob Lake — less than 20 miles from the Rock Canyon Fire — say the new fire is stirring up anxiety after last year’s devastating fire season. They say they’re confident in firefighters, but after the trauma, they’re still holding their breath.
Memories of last year’s fires
For over 100 years, Jacob Lake Inn has been serving cookies to guests who want to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon or explore the Kaibab National Forest. Melinda Rich Marshall’s family has owned the inn since 1923.
Last year, they were evacuated during the White Sage Fire that burned close to 60,000 acres, and then the Dragon Bravo Fire, which destroyed nearly 150,000 acres, shut down the North Rim.
Now the Rock Canyon Fire has already burned thousands of acres north of the inn.
“I mean, honestly, our reaction was not again,” Rich Marshall said. “I mean, that’s really what it was.”
Rich Marshall said last year was hard enough, so once they heard about this new fire, it brought back bad memories.
“I’d say we have a little PTSD from it, seeing smoke and smelling smoke and all those things,” she said.
Fire burning in old burn scar
The Rock Canyon Fire was sparked over the weekend by a lightning strike.
Parts of it are burning in the White Sage burn scar. Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Dolores Garcia said old burn scars will usually slow down a new fire, but this time it’s actually fueling the flames.
“In some of those areas, we’re seeing quite a bit of fuels,” Garcia said. “We’re not seeing that the burn scar is helping much, especially with the winds as strong as they’ve been in some days and as dry as it’s been, those fuels are just tender and cured and really flammable.”
She said firefighters are attacking it from the ground and the air, but the high winds are limiting their ability to make water drops.
Hikers and campers were evacuated from the area. Garcia said she knows how stressful this must be to the surrounding communities after last year’s fires.
“We still understand that, it’s still a very fresh wound to many of the people who live up there, who’ve recreated up there for years,” she said. “That’s definitely at the forefront of our minds.”
Rich Marshall said while it’s scary, they have full trust in the firefighters.
“We’re really just grateful to see them and know the work that they are doing,” she said.
Rich Marshall said this is usually their peak season, but they’ve seen a bit of a slowdown even after the North rim reopened. She said people can support them by staying there or even just stopping in and getting some of their famous cookies.
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The NBA Draft is less than a week away, and the Utah Jazz have a big decision to make. What’s difficult for the Jazz is that there isn’t an obvious choice between some incredible prospects at the top of the draft: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer. Obviously, everything depends on what the Washington Wizards decide to do with their pick. But with all the smoke screens we’ve seen, it’s not clear who will be available to the Jazz.
That’s where you come in. If you were the Utah Jazz and you had the chance to choose between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer, who would you choose?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
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