Utah Road Deaths Decline Two Years in a Row

In 2018, 264 people lost their lives in crashes in Utah, making roadway fatalities as low as they been since 2014 when 256 people were killed, reports the Standard-Examiner.

This is the second consecutive year where the total number of fatalities has decreased. In 2018, roadway deaths decreased 3.3% as compared to 2017. In addition, the rate of deaths on state highways is as low as it's been in decades, notes the report.

Specifically, Utah's rate of deaths per 1 million miles traveled was 0.8 in 2018 as compared with 0.82 in 2012 — a period when the state had reached over a 50-year low in traffic fatalities.

Fatalities in 2018 spanned the spectrum of road users. Of the 264 people who died, 175 were motorists, 47 were motorcyclists, 39 were pedestrians, and three were bicyclists, according to a Fox13 report.

Most of the fatal crashes (75%) occurred on dry roads, ruling out bad weather as a factor.

Rather, the majority of Utah roadway collisions resulting in deaths can be chalked up to human error. The data attributes 15 road fatalities to drowsy driving, 17 to distracting driving, 82 to aggressive driving including speeding, 19 to alcohol-impaired driving, and 50 fatalities for failure to wear a seat belt, according to reports.

The latest traffic fatality figures were released by the Utah Department of Transportation.