SAL LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 18, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Transportation released a new study Wednesday showing fatalities on the state’s roadways climbing to a nine-year high.
According to the UDOT study, 280 people lost their lives in traffic-related accidents in 2016, the highest number of traffic deaths since 2007, when 299 were killed.
One hundred ninety-four of the fatal accidents in 2016 involved cars and trucks, while 42 involved motorcycles.
Thirty-nine pedestrians died in traffic-related accidents last year.
Five bicyclists were also killed.
The majority of the fatal accidents took place in Salt Lake County where 69 people died in roadway accidents. Thirty-one died in Utah County, 26 in Davis County, 20 in Tooele County and 19 in Weber County.
Accidents in Washington County in southern Utah accounted for 15 fatal crashes.
According to the UDOT study, the majority of the fatal crashes happened on I-15 (24) followed U.S. 89 (17), Interstate 80 (16), and I-70 (12).
Sixty-nine percent of those who died were men, compared to 31 percent women.
UDOT figures also showed impaired-driving deaths accounted for 77 of the 2016 fatalities in Utah.
Seventy deaths were attributed to aggressive driving.
Another 22 people died as a result of distracted driving, according to UDOT, while 22 were killed in drowsy-driving crashes.
Eighty six of those who died on Utah roads last year were not wearing seatbelts, according to UDOT’s report.
