SALT LAKE CITY — Some disturbing numbers from the Utah Highway Patrol as we begin 2026. New Year's Eve, DUI arrests were way up from last year, a 50-percent increase.
UHP troopers say some of that is due to better enforcement.
But they’re quick to add that there are too many people making bad choices about driving while impaired.
UHP Sgt. Mike Alexander says Troopers rang in the New Year arresting way too many impaired drivers.
“We went from 40 last New Year’s Eve and New Year’s to 60 this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s. Which is a significant increase," said Alexander.
Fortunately, there were no DUI-related crashes reported.
And that’s a big goal of the New Year’s Eve saturation enforcement.
Jessica Wilhite barely survived being in a car crash with a DUI driver.
“Just one small decision, one bad call can ruin your life and can ruin someone else’s life. It’s sad, but it’s also so preventable. Everything that happened to us was preventable," said Wilhite.
Jessica and her sister Sabrina were hit by that impaired driver late last year in Northern Arizona.
They sustained serious injuries and Sabrina lost part of her left arm.
The family now dedicates much of their time to warning everyone about the dangers of driving under the influence.
Ironically, their dad, Brent Wilhite, used to work for the Utah Department of Public Safety and for Zero Fatalities.
“Our lives have been forever affected by this, because of one person‘s decision to drink and get behind the wheel. It didn’t have to happen," said Brent.
Sgt. Alexander says he’s proud of his team but still disappointed by the overall DUI numbers.
“I think it’s a testament to our troopers and their hard work and dedication to keeping Utah safe that we arrested so many drivers last night and this morning," he said. "However, I think it is still true that if we arrested 60 drivers in the last 30 hours, then we obviously have too many people still choosing, making the personal choice to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.”
And the holiday weekend still has a ways to go.
Many have Friday off and may be continuing their festivities.
Sgt. Alexander is encouraging everyone to celebrate and have fun but to make smart decisions and make sure you have a safe way to get home.
