Motorcycle deaths reach 15-year high in Utah, according to 2025 road fatality data
Jan 7, 2025, 5:48 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — 281 people died on Utah roads in 2024, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Out of the data, both troopers and road workers said the number of motorcycle deaths — 53 — was particularly concerning because it marked a 15-year high.
“A lot of these crashes are single vehicle crashes where (there was) just a single rider, single vehicle,” Lt. Cameron Roden, with the Utah Highway Patrol, said. “A lot of that has to do with individuals that aren’t adjusting for what the conditions are, going too fast for a mountain, curvy road or losing control of their bikes.”
Roden said it was an area that would undoubtedly receive more attention from troopers in the year ahead, and that sentiment was also echoed by UDOT.
“We need to work together, and when you’re talking about a 15-year high in the number of people that have been killed on motorcycles, that’s something we need to pay close attention to and see if there’s more that needs to be done there,” John Gleason, a spokesperson for UDOT, said.
The 281 total deaths in 2024 surpassed 2023’s total of 279.
According to state data, a third of all road fatalities were considered “vulnerable road users”— motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Close to 39% of fatal crash victims were not restrained, and Roden underscored the importance of drivers and passengers to buckle up their seatbelts.
There was, however, a relative positive to come out of the report. Officials said teen fatalities decreased by 50% from 2023 to 2024 with a total of 19 deaths last year.
Roden attributed that to a combination of factors.
“We are doing better at educating (teens) and letting them know the dangers that face them as they’re out driving,” Roden said. “Also, too, I think the programs such as the graduated drivers licensing program where they’re getting experience — I think those things are definitely paying good dividends.”
