New numbers show Utahns are driving faster than ever before
Nov 16, 2022, 10:00 PM | Updated: 11:06 pm
SANDY, Utah — Is it a dangerous “new normal” on the roads? Speeding is such an issue in parts of Utah, some cities have even started “slow down” campaigns.
Speeding in school zones in Sandy is up nearly 30% this year and that’s just the beginning of what appears to be a reckless new trend on the roads.
“I’ll be honest, what we’re seeing is much higher speeds,” Sgt. Greg Moffitt with Sandy City Police Department said. “We’ve had nearly 600 of those citations that have been at least 30 miles an hour above the speed limit.”
That’s in just the last year. Sgt. Moffitt says speeding in school zones is up nearly 29% year-over-year. KSL requested numbers to find out how many people are speeding. The numbers are up significantly since 2021. In fact, speeding citations in Sandy are up nearly 50%.
The numbers across the country are similar. In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said this year is on track to be the deadliest on roads, with the most dangerous behavior: speeding. The Utah Department of Public Safety says speeding is the cause of 109-deaths so far this year and more than 42-hundred injuries.
Moffitt says there is an easy fix.
“We, as Utahns, really need to take a step back, take a deep breath and be a little bit kinder to other people on the roads, have a little bit of respect for other drivers.”
And, always pack our patience.
