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‘100 Deadliest Days’ in Utah grow less deadly over three years

Posted at 6:23 PM, Sep 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-07 09:30:43-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- The 100 deadliest days, the period of increased travel from Memorial Day to Labor Day, were less deadly than they have been in recent years, with 87 deaths on Utah highways.

The Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah Department of Transportation compiled the numbers for 2017, comparing them to previous years.

In 2016, 94 people died in traffic deaths in Utah during the "100 Deadliest Days," and 111 died during the same period in 2015.

On the one hand, state leaders see the numbers as encouraging.

"We're seeing a five percent increase in travel across the state, and seeing a decrease in fatalities: That's progress," said John Gleason, a spokesman for UDOT.

On the other hand, both agencies set the goal at zero fatalities.

"We're talking about lives. We're talking about individuals," said Sgt. Todd Royce of the Utah Highway Patrol.