Preliminary reports show 281 people lost their lives in fatal crashes on Utah roads in 2024, 10 of which were in Cache County. There were 279 fatalities on Utah roads in 2023.
Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, saw a 15-year high for motorcycle crashes, and a 50% decline in teenage fatalities, according to the preliminary traffic fatality data released by the Utah Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety on Tuesday.
According to the data, one-third of all fatalities were vulnerable road users like motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Motorcycle fatalities reached a 15-year high of 53. Data shows the highest concentration of fatal motorcycle crashes happened during the summer, and most incidents were single-vehicle crashes involving a single rider.
The release said the crashes were often attributed to speed, lack of protective gear or loss of control.
The release highlighted a 50% decrease in teenage fatalities on Utah roads, from 38 teenage fatalities in 2023 to 19 in 2024.
“Utah will continue focusing on prevention through ongoing education, behind-the-wheel training and increased parent involvement to further reduce teen fatalities,” the release said.
Nearly 39% of crash victims were unrestrained.
“Although this number decreased from last year (81), and Utah’s seat belt usage rate is 90.7%, a significant number of lives could have been saved had they simply buckled up,” the release stated.
While winter saw more crashes due to hazardous weather conditions, the summer months of 2024 saw the highest number of fatalities. The rise in deaths was attributed to higher driving speeds typical during summer.
“By reviewing these numbers every year, we not only reflect on the lost lives but seek ways to improve,” UDOT Operations Director Troy Peterson said. “All of these crashes are preventable. We all are responsible for prioritizing safety and protecting one another and making this number zero.”
“Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy, and behind every statistic is a family forever changed,” said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden. “Reducing roadway fatalities requires us to drive with care, patience and commitment to making safety our top priority.”
Visit zerofatalities.com to access resources to educate, review and teach safe road habits. Zero Fatalities also offers a Fact Sheet and statistics webpage for more information and visual charts.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten: Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us: Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.