SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Highway Patrol has released its data on crashes and traffic stops throughout the state so far this year.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 5, 2022, there were 55,299 total crashes on Utah's streets and highways — a 1-percent decrease from the same timeframe last year. Of those, 284 were fatal, which UHP said is a 3-percent increase.
There have been 23 wrong-way crashes on all roads throughout the state this year, 16 of which were on highways under the UHP's jurisdiction. Seven of them were fatal, and five of those were "UHP crashes." There were five fatal wrong-way crashes last year, all of which UHP responded to.
| Category | 2021 | 2022 |
| Statewide* crashes | 55,756 | 55,299 (1% decrease) |
| UHP crashes | 16,342 | 15,642 (4% decrease) |
| Statewide fatal crashes | 276 | 284 (3% increase) |
| UHP fatal crashes | 135 | 113 (16% decrease) |
| Statewide wrong-way crashes | 26 | 23 (12% decrease) |
| UHP wrong-way crashes | 21 | 16 (24% decrease) |
*"Statewide crashes" refers to the total amount of crashes, including those that were not under the Highway Patrol's jurisdiction.
The following data was also shared by UHP; however, this year's numbers are only through Dec. 5 while the 2021 data is for the entire year.
| Category | 2021 | 2022 |
| Total contacts | 280,013 | 289,065 |
| DUI arrests | 3,751 | 2,871 |
| Seatbelt violations | 13,678 | 14,455 |
| Speeding | 123,234 | 124,860 |
| Equipment safety | 39,080 | 41,332 |
| Wrong-way drivers | 158 | 127 |
| 100+ mph | 4,729 | 5,946 |
