WEBER COUNTY, Utah — As part of the FOX 13 News Driven to Change initiative, we are listening to your concerns about safety while driving in the canyons. One Ogden Valley resident shared why they were worried about the traction law enforcement on Powder Mountain Road.
Steve Ericson has lived in the area for over 20 years.
"It's a very beautiful canyon to begin with, and it's relatively out of the way, and great skiing," he shared.
But Ericson has an issue that he hopes someone will look into.
"A number of years ago, my father had a heart attack up here, and the canyon was blocked by two-wheel-drive vehicles. EMS could not get to the top of the canyon and he ended up dying." Ericson explained.
Steve believes his dad might have had a chance if the traction law that exists on the road was enforced.
"Travelling through canyons is a much different experience than driving on the interstate," said Utah Department of Transportation spokesperson John Gleason. "Narrow roads, twists, turns, curves, you have to really navigate and steep incline."
Under traction laws, only all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicles with good tires, or those using devices like chains, can access certain roads during severe winter weather.
UDOT designates traction laws, but it's up to local authorities to enforce them, and in Ericson's case, that's the Weber County Sheriff's Office.
"Some of the problems we have is, 4-5 years ago, they got rid of safety inspections, so there's nothing regulating tires or anything like that anymore," explained Lt. Mark Horton with the sheriff's office. "And as law enforcement, we can't stop cars to stop cars, but if we come to a crash or something like that, we are collecting the data on that type of stuff to hand over to the state."
Horton oversees traffic enforcement and added that deputies patrol frequently and try to check cars when they can.
"So, if a car has been stopped for speeding, or say expired registration, they will check some of those details in that stop," he said.
Ericson was a search and rescue volunteer for years, and knows how important it is for first responders to get to emergencies quickly. At the end of the day, he's reminding people driving through the canyon to follow the rules.
"People that are driving with two-wheel-drive vehicles and bald tires know the risk that they're taking," he said. "However, they choose to ignore it and that is truly a health and safety matter for residents at the top of the canyon and skiers that go up for the day and get injured."
