Courtesy Utah Highway Patrol

The state of Utah went into the last holiday weekend of the summer noting a grim statistic.

This week, the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Department of Public Safety released a joint press release detailing preliminary fatality numbers for the “100 Deadliest Days” — the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

“Despite some positive trends, there has been a concerning number of crashes and fatalities,” the release said. “This summer, 95 people have lost their lives on Utah roads, compared to 81 fatalities last summer. With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, marking the close of the 100 Deadliest Days, UDOT and DPS are urging all Utahns to prioritize safe driving.”

John Gleason, UDOT director of public relations, told the Standard-Examiner in an email that single-vehicle crashes have been especially bad this summer. He said that most of the 42 fatal crashes this summer were of the single vehicle, single occupant variety.

“This tells us that distraction, speeding, impairment and not buckling up were all major factors,” he said. “37 of those fatalities involved speed. People need to slow down, buckle up and focus on the road.”

Courtesy Utah Highway Patrol

He also noted the number of single vehicle rider motorcycle crashes has been high.

“Everyone shares the road, so drivers should always be on the lookout for those vulnerable roadway users, but the majority of the motorcycle crashes we’ve seen this summer have been from a single vehicle,” he said. “Motorcyclists have control over their own decision making and being defensive. We urge motorcyclists to take responsibility for their own safety and do everything in their power to be seen and develop important riding skills.”

Gleason said there’s another reason the spike in fatalities this summer is especially tragic.

“What’s really disheartening is that as we headed into the summer we were lower than we were in previous years,” he said. “But then summer began and fatalities started to increase. Are we becoming complacent? Are we prioritizing distractions, fun or time for safety?”

According to preliminary DPS numbers, there have been eight deaths in seven fatal crashes in Weber County during the summer through Aug. 29. One notable instance was a crash on July 6 that took the lives of Lifetime Products CEO Richard Hendrickson and his daughter Sally. The accident, which occurred on State Route 39 through Ogden Canyon, inspired a petition asking for restrictions on large vehicles using the canyon route. In Davis County, there have been three fatalities in three accidents this summer, and in Utah County, there have been six deaths in four fatal crashes this summer.

Gleason said authorities are doing their best to keep the roads safe over the Labor Day weekend.

“UDOT and DPS continue to do everything we can to reduce the number of fatalities on our roads — from engineering to education to enforcement,” he said. “There will be 4,300 extra enforcement shifts this weekend and we continue to educate the public on the consequences of driving unbuckled, impaired, distracted, drowsy and aggressive through educational presentations, a presence in the media, enforcement and engineering projects.”

In the meantime, he said there’s much the public can do to keep the roads safe for the remainder of the year.

“As we go into the holiday weekend, remember to stick to the basics and stay safe — wear your seat belt, follow the speed limit, drive sober, drive alert and drive calm,” he said. “Be bold enough to buckle up and demand that everyone in your car does the same. Make taking breaks and putting the phone down the norm. Be courteous enough to SLOW DOWN and stay calm behind the wheel; driving isn’t a competition. Take responsibility to plan ahead and arrange for a safe and sober ride home. If you choose to drink, don’t drive. It’s never going to be enough unless everyone does their part… We all need to do a better job, not only looking out for ourselves but for everyone else on the road.”