Speeding remains a concern in South Jordan neighborhoods despite enforcement

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — John Dahl has watched drivers speed past his South Jordan home for years.

"This has been an issue as long as I've lived here," said Dahl, a South Jordan resident for 33 years. "It has been a major concern for some time."

On his street, where the limit is 25 mph, Dahl said most drivers travel at least 40 to 45 mph throughout the day. Earlier this month, police departments in Sandy and South Jordan reported extreme speeding incidents. In South Jordan, police reported a driver going 71 mph in a 40 mph zone. In Sandy, a person was driving 43 mph in a 25 mph zone.

The Utah Highway Patrol says speed-related traffic fatalities increased very slightly from 88 deaths this year, compared to 87 last year. Officials added that warmer temperatures outside could boost drivers' confidence on the road.

"We feel that maybe since there's less snow this season that people are feeling overconfident and feeling like they can be driving a little bit faster," Sgt. Luis Silva with UHP said.

UHP data shows 40 percent of speed-related crashes happen during winter months, with 60 percent of those incidents considered driving "too fast for conditions."

Jason Mettmann, the communications manager for UHP, said they're monitoring how weather patterns will affect their data.

"We're seeing that this warm weather is going to affect crashes in different ways," Mettmann said.

Officials stress that speed limits and safety protocols are the same regardless of weather conditions.

"If you're tempted by speed because of the warm weather, please just consider that the severity of the crashes go way up," Mettmann said. "It's better to arrive late than not at all."

DRIVEN TO CHANGE

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