ROAD TO ZERO
Memorial Day weekend: Six killed, over 2,500 stopped for speeding on Utah’s roads
Jun 1, 2022, 11:22 AM
Two people were killed in a crash on state Route 68 in Utah County over Memorial Day weekend. (Utah Highway Patrol)
(Utah Highway Patrol)
SALT LAKE CITY — Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the 100 deadliest days on Utah’s roads, and state troopers said the Beehive State is off to a rough start.
Over the weekend, six people were killed — four in highway crashes — and more than 2,000 were stopped for speeding.
Last year, one person was killed on the freeway during the same time period.
Why do drivers in Utah drive so fast! It seems like I-15 had a steady flow of traffic at 90mph https://t.co/9eRT9hQjnI
— Dan Spindle KSL (@DanSpindleKSL) June 1, 2022
State troopers say 130 people were stopped after hitting speeds above 100 mph, and 21 were stopped for speeding above 105 mph.
Those 21 drivers were cited for reckless driving under a new Utah law that went into effect on May 4. The law automatically increases the penalty for those caught speeding over 105 mph from an infraction to a class B misdemeanor.
(Utah Highway Patrol)
State troopers will also be working extra speeding, seat belt and DUI shifts throughout the summer with the goal of flattening the curve on Utah’s upward trend in fatal crashes.
This weekend, troopers made 53 DUI arrests — up from 41 in 2021 — and responded to 205 crashes — an increase of 26 from last year.
The Utah Highway Patrol also held a commercial vehicle enforcement project in St. George. Troopers performed 49 inspections and located six violations that placed drivers out of service and 71 that are required to be fixed.
One commercial vehicle was stopped and cited for going 103 mph in a 70-mph zone.
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