Salt Lake City (ABC 4 News) Statistics, released on Thursday by the Utah Highway Patrol, how our fatality rate is dropping in the state. In fact, the rate is now the lowest it has been in 37 years, and it is a full 20 percent lower than it was just five years ago.
However, there were still 233 fatal accidents on Utah roadways last year and UHP says we still need to improve. UHP and Zero Fatalities said a new public service announcement campaign is now underway in Utah to remind people to play it safe while driving and to demonstrate the consequences of bad choices.
Computer animation recreated a deadly accident from a few years ago involving Aaron Allred out on Highway 89. (see video with this story) A truck moved into the path of Allred’s Honda. When that happened Allred swerved. As he tried to correct the car it swerved to the other side of the road. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and when the car thrown into the passenger seat. Then the car slammed into a double load truck. Allred was killed instantly. His adult daughter talked about the accident and the use of seatbelts saying, "It’s not about you – it’s about the people you love." Then she said, "It’s a simple thing that takes two seconds that is going to save your family from having to go through what I went through."
Sadly, Ashli’s story is not unique. Fatal accidents happen every few days in Utah. And while the numbers are the lowest they have been since 1974 – 233 fatal accidents is a lot. UHP and Zero Fatalities say the majority happen for three reasons: Drunk Driving. 37 people died from DUI accidents. Excessive speed. Driving too fast or too fast for conditions accounted for 57 fatal accidents. And finally, not wearing seatbelts or wrongful use of a restraint. 72 people died in accidents in that category. UHP Colonel Daniel Fuhr says so many of the fatal accidents were preventable.
While Utah has an 89 percent seatbelt usage rate – Fuhr says the goal for 2012 is 100 percent.
http://
ut.zerofatalities.com/
