UTAH COUNTY, Aug. 26, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — As the deadliest time of year for highway driving draws to a close, the Utah Highway Patrol put on one last traffic enforcement blitz.
“Now that kids are back to school and summer activities are winding down, the Utah Highway Patrol is looking to end the ‘100 deadliest days’ on a positive note,” the UHP said on social media, referring to the time span from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day, Sept. 5.
“To accomplish this mission, the UHP Motor Squad has focused its attention on some of the most dangerous driving behaviors as they have conducted enforcement around the state. These behaviors range from reckless driving, distracted driving to speeding.”
As such, the UHP held one of its notorious, half-day, focused enforcement actions Wednesday, setting 14 motorcycle officers loose in two specific zones of Utah County — the northern half of I-15 and SR-6 in Spanish fork Canyon. Events began at 7 a.m.
The box score announced on the Troopers’ Facebook page: 253 total traffic stops, 208 for speeding in five hours.
They also logged 21 seat belt infractions, 17 equipment violations, nine stops for reckless driving or driving while texting, plus 12 other moving violations and 34 non-moving violations.
“This high visibility enforcement project will hopefully remind drivers to drive focused, drive buckled, and drive the speed limit,” said the UHP.
“Our overall goal isn’t to write more tickets. It is to promote safe driving and to help change bad habits for ones that could potentially save a life.
“We know that these driving habits often result in crashes and, at times, fatalities. As drivers, we all have the power to affect change on our roadways. It all starts with ourselves.”
