SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 27, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Highway Patrol and AirMed have teamed up to encourage Zero Fatalities. Memorial Day marks the beginning of the “100 Deadliest Days” around the country.
Last year’s fatal accidents showed an upward trend. There were 111 fatal accidents during the 100 Deadliest Days. That is nearly double the figure of 68 in 2012.
John Gleason, spokesman for UDOT, said 93 percent of all fatal crashes are caused by human error, and the goal of Zero Fatalities can be achieved through education and drivers being committed to better driving.
“The number keeps rising, and it is something we are concerned with, but there are many different reasons they are so high,” Gleason said.
“Higher traffic with more people coming into Utah increases the amount of people on the roads, but really that is just an excuse.”
Gleason said he believes the agencies’ efforts have helped to save lives, but they will not be satisfied until those numbers head in the right direction.
“We are going to challenge ourselves (UDOT) to improve engineering for better roads,” Gleason said. “We have already done so much to make the roads safer, but we want to do better. And we want to double our efforts on educating the public and getting people to drive safe.”
Gleason said distracted driving, speeding, exhaustion, impairment and not wearing a seat belt are the top five reasons people die in accidents.
“We have to get people to understand that when you are in the car, it is the most dangerous thing you do on a daily basis,” Gleason said. “We have to be aware that when we get behind the wheel not only are we taking our own lives in our hands, other people can be affected by our choices too.”
Gleason defines a distraction as anything that takes a driver’s focus off the road.
“It’s not just about cell phones, there are other distractions that take your mind off driving safe such as having passengers in your car, changing the radio and reaching for something,” Gleason said. “We all need to make a commitment to improve. Conditions can change so quickly and it really can be a matter of life and death.”
National Safety Council estimates this year’s Memorial Day fatalities to be the deadliest since 2009.
According to Deborah Hersman, the National Safety Council CEO, cell phone-related crashes, during which drivers are texting or talking on hand-held or hands-free devices, have increased for the third consecutive years. They now account for 27 percent of all crashes.
The Council estimates nearly 400 fatalities and more than 46,000 medically consulted injuries due to motor vehicle collisions will occur over the long weekend. The Council is urging all drivers to buckle up every time and for every trip, and to exercise extra caution behind the wheel this Memorial Day.
