UTAH COUNTY — The Provo Police Department set up a DUI checkpoint Saturday night along Provo Canyon Road, a highway where they say the crashes tend to be serious or even deadly.
“Even turning out of the parks and onto the main road, it gets freaky,” Orem resident Dallin Hancock said Saturday evening.
Police say the checkpoint is on East Provo Canyon Road, at the intersection near Canyon View Park. The checkpoint was set up around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and will continued until 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Hancock and Orem resident Breck Benard, who were fly fishing at Canyon View Park on Saturday, say they drive up and down the highway often to ski with friends.
“It’s such an easy way to come into a head-on collision with no barrier,” Benard said. “It’s just terrible, I mean, they’re coming at 60, you know, maybe even 70 because they just want to be flying.”
It’s not just driving speeds that make this stretch of road deadly — it’s people’s choices. According to the 2025 Utah DUI Report, March is a peak time for DUI arrests, especially on weekends.
“If you’re going to drink, get someone to drive you home or use a ride share, but don’t drink and drive,” said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Quincey Breur.
The agencies involved are Provo, Orem, Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Lindon. Provo Canyon is a major route into Utah County. The route impacts Provo, Orem, the greater Utah County area, and Wasatch County.
“Look out for your loved ones, take care of them when you’re on the roadway. Follow speed limits, make sure to wear your seatbelt,” Sgt. Breur said.
As for Benard and Hancock, they say they’ll be reminding their loved ones to stay safe on the road this weekend ahead of St. Patrick's Day.
“It’s not worth it. It’s just not worth it,” Benard said.
