SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – If you’re driving on the wet, rainy roads this weekend, please drive carefully!
Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) says they’ve responded to 49 crashes in just the last 12 hours. Over 25% of the crashes took place in the Salt Lake Valley, officials report.
Troopers say thankfully, most incidents have not involved serious injuries, but they are warning drivers to practice safe driving and keep an eye out for road hazards.
“Troopers are responding to several areas of standing water in Salt Lake Co this morning,” says UHP. “Please remember to reduce speeds, increase following distance, give yourself plenty of time and look beyond your hood for road hazards.”
With overnight storms hitting Utah, road closures have been activated along several highways due to wintry conditions.
Most recently, driving experts offered tips for driving safely in poor weather conditions, including turning vehicle lights on for added visibility and ensuring windshield wipers and tire tread levels are checked.
UHP says more Utahns have been driving recklessly this year, with speeding, road rage, and distracted driving as the leading causes of recent crashes.
“Obviously when you’re going that fast, any kind of correcting or input you put into the vehicle is magnified, any crash you get into is going to be magnified,” says Trooper Nicholas Hansen with UHP.
As storms continue throughout the weekend, make sure to drive carefully, plan ahead to safely arrive at your destination.
