The 100 Deadliest Days for car and truck crashes starts Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day. It’s when fatalities spike the tally, leading to more than 1,400 deaths in the Mountain West.
“We go out on the roads and look for those that are speeding, those that are not wearing their seat belts, those that may be driving impaired, distracted or drowsy,” said Sgt. Todd Royce, a spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol.
AAA says the number of deadly crashes among teens surges in summer. One big reason is phones. Another is distractions from passengers in the car.
Michael Blasky, a AAA spokesman, calls cell phones a big factor.
“It’s kind of a new territory for everybody and we’re trying to figure out the best way to minimize harm.”
According 2016 data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Utah has the lowest highway fatality rate in the Mountain West — 9.2 per 100,000 people. Wyoming is the highest in the region at 19.1 per 100,000 population.
That data shows the rate in Montana at 18.2 per 100,000 population; 15 per 100,000 population in Idaho; and 11 per 100,000 population in Colorado.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, Yellowstone Public Radio in Montana, KUER in Salt Lake City and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado.
