UHP urges Utahns to drive sober after 10,000 DUI arrests

SALT LAKE CITY — Officials with the Utah Highway Patrol are asking residents to be safe this holiday season while out on the roadways and to drive sober.

On Friday, troopers shared a video message on social media, along with a caption that said there have been over 10,000 DUI arrests in the state of Utah so far this year.

“There have been over 1,900 crashes involving a DUI driver and as a result 56 people have lost their lives,” the post said.

The agency said they will be out “in full force” over the holidays “to help prevent tragedies on Utah’s roadways.”

“Every year during the holiday seasons, tragedy happens, where someone who’s made a very bad decision results in really horrible consequences for themselves and others,” Col. Michael Rapich said in the video. “We want to make sure that this holiday season, we don’t have horrible things happen, that we don’t lose anybody during the joyous time of year because someone made the bad decision to drink and drive.”