ST. GEORGE — Half of the fatalities that occurred on Utah roads during the week following Pioneer Day involved speeding, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.

This file photo shows the St. George Fire Department responding to a single-vehicle crash on South River Road near the intersection of Brigham Road that police say involved reckless driving at high speeds, St. George, Utah, July 16, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Dylan Westover, St. George News

The deaths come in the middle of the state’s “100 Deadliest Days” during summer when road fatalities tend to spike. In 2023m between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 84 people were killed in crashes, the majority of which involved impaired driving and speeding. The latter was the subject of a statewide enforcement campaign launched by Utah DPS in July.

“Tragically, preliminary reports show that eight of the 16 traffic fatalities since Pioneer Day were speed-related,” Jason Mettmann, communications manager for Utah DPS’s Utah Highway Safety Office, wrote in a press release.

As of July 30, there have been 38 deaths in Utah linked to speeding-related crashes. There also have been over 5,000 speed-related crashes in the state since the start of the year, according Utah DPS.

The speed enforcement campaign involved officers from 39 agencies across the state who participated in over 385 shifts focused on speed enforcement and preventing speed-related crashes.

This file photo shows the result of a speeding driver who lost control of his vehicle and smashed into a boulder, LaVerkin, Utah, April 27, 2015 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considers a crash speed-related if the driver is charged with a speed-related offense or if the responding officer indicates the driver was driving too fast for the conditions at the time or exceeded the posted speed limit.

Speeding or traveling too fast for the conditions on the highway has been cited as a primary contributing factor in 30% of all fatal crashes in Utah since January 2019.

Mettmann said that the Utah Highway Safety Office discovered that the state experienced a 10.7% increase in speeding-related crashes over the last five years. Half of those crashes involved drivers under 24 years old. Regarding speed-related fatalities for this time, 20% of them involved teen drivers.

In July the Utah Highway Patrol made over 10,000 speed contacts throughout the state, with 203 of them involving speeds of over 100 mph, and 108 stops for reckless driving at over 105 mph.

In this file photo, a man speeding by a semitractor on I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge lost control of his car and crashed into and under a tanker-trailer filled with gasoline, Mohave County, Arizona, Fab. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District, St. George News

“Extreme speeds are unacceptable and dangerous, and driving at high rates of speed is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to serious injury and fatal crashes for drivers of all ages,” Mettmann said.

Not only is speeding potentially dangerous and deadly, it’s also pricey. Speeding tickets in Utah can start at $120-plus for speeding between 1-10 miles over the speed limit, and up to nearly $500 and above for going 31 or more miles over the limit.

Fines for speeding in school zones are higher, as are second offenses.

In June, two drivers were charged for racing on Interstate 15 near Cedar City at speeds of up to 120 mph.

Speeding offenses can also lead to an increase in insurance costs and an eventual revocation of a person’s driver license due to repeat offenses.

Speeding impacts by the numbers

  • In the last five years, 70% of speed-related crashes involved drivers under age 30.
  • Nearly 60% of speed-related crashes involved vehicles moving too fast for conditions.
  • Speed-related crashes spike at 8 am and 5 pm daily.
  • 50% of speed-related crashes in Utah involve young drivers under age 24.
  • 20% of speed-related fatalities involve teens aged 16-19.
  • In 2024, 26.1% of speed-related crashes involved teen drivers.
  • In 2023, Utah roads had almost 9,300 speed-related crashes (5,034 crashes in 2024 so far).
  • In 2024, 38 people have died in speed-related crashes in Utah.
  • YTD In 2024, UHP has made over 71,000 speed-related contacts.

The consequences of speeding

  • Greater potential for loss of vehicle control.
  • Reduced effectiveness of seat belts & child safety seats.
  • Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger.
  • Increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries.
  • Economic implications of a speed-related crash.
  • Increased fuel consumption/costs.
  • Court and vehicle impound fees.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He enjoys photography and won an award for photojournalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for a 2018 photo of a bee inspector removing ferals bees from a Washington City home. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction.

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