If you’ve been a Utah driver almost all your life, you’ve most likely heard the phrase “100 Deadliest Days,” but do you actually know what it entails? From Memorial Day to the first week of September, The number of fatal accidents on Utah roads double compared to the rest of the year. The fatality amount is alarming enough that our personal injury lawyers tend to pick up more work during these months. However, we would rather receive fewer cases like these and work more towards creating safer roads.
Thanks to the efforts of drivers and groups like the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) supported Zero Fatalities program, more and more people are trying to make roads safer. However, there are still too many accidents to start giving ourselves pats on the back. Over a ten year period, there were 45 percent more fatal accidents during Utah’s 100 Deadliest Days.
Personal injury lawyers that see car accident cases year after year understand that the best thing that drivers can do is drive courteously, keeping other drivers and passengers on the road in mind; the more drivers do that, the more likely Utah will see fewer accidents during the summer. The fact that there are consistently fewer accidents during the winter months even though roads can be as slippery as ice rinks, stands evident that the effort to be safe makes a difference.
According to UDOT and the Department of Public Safety (DPS), five primary causes of fatal wrecks involve the following: aggressive driving (speeding, failing to yield to others, and running people off roads), distracted driving, drunk driving, drowsy driving, and driving without a seatbelt. Each factor contains the makeup of one negative attribute: carelessness. Personal injury lawyers can confirm that carelessness can usually be found behind every driver guilty of causing an accident. This is why precautionary action is vital to improving the safety of Utah roads.
Tips such as looking twice, never driving when intoxicated, wearing a seatbelt, and yielding the right-of-way to others can help ensure that safety on the roads is happening. It is best to be an aware driver and create the safest environment for yourself and other drivers while on the road. Avoid driving when your emotions are high, plan to be ahead of schedule, and never drive when your driving might be affected by intoxication or impaired vision.
Safe driving may be obvious, but there are a lot of people out there that forget the importance of safe driving because the roads are clear and the sky is blue. If you are a safe driver and adhere to courteous driving, make efforts to discuss the importance of safe driving with others.
If you fall victim to someone’s poor driving in an accident or have a family member in a fatal accident, reach out to one of our personal injury lawyers at Robert J. DeBry for a free consultation
Sources:
http://zerofatalitiesut.com/100-deadliest-days/
https://governorblog.utah.gov/2017/06/staying-safe-on-utah-roads-during-the-100-deadliest-days/
https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/03/2017FatalCrashSummary-3.pdf