MURRAY, Utah — Utah Highway Patrol is wrapping up this Labor Day holiday weekend with more troopers on the road.
The weekend traditionally ends the period known as the “100 Deadliest Days” — the time frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
On Labor Day weekend in 2021, UHP reported four people died in three crashes:
- Saturday: Motorcyclist dies after crash in Logan Canyon
- Sunday: Driver killed in single-vehicle crash in San Juan County
- Monday: Two killed in crash near Zion National Park
On this same weekend in 2020, that number was zero.
Speed was a contributing factor in at least one of those crashes.
That has been an alarming trend since the pandemic began.
“Coming off the pandemic, we saw less people driving, so roads were wide open, [and] people thought they could drive faster,” said Lt. Wade Breur with Utah Highway Patrol.
Earlier Monday, Lt. Bruer said a young driver was caught on State Route 201 driving 106 miles per hour.
According to Zero Fatalities, in 2020, 85 people lost their lives in crashes caused by speeding. So far in 2021, speed is blamed for 52 deaths.
UHP also reports a resurgence in crashes caused by impairment.
The safety message to slow down and avoid driving while intoxicated is one that has been shared many times. Troopers have a message to those who choose to ignore the warning.
“If people make the bad decision to drive impaired, we will get them,” Lt. Bruer said.
