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SALT LAKE CITY — Easter weekend traffic on Utah's highways led to one fatality believed to result from alcohol, three injury crashes involving alcohol and 44 DUI arrests, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
In all, busy UHP troopers made 3,274 traffic stops, gave out 2,310 speeding tickets, cited 120 people for seat belt violations and responded to 87 crashes over the holiday weekend.
The number of fatalities for an Easter weekend is lower than usual and the other figures are about average for the holiday, said UHP Sgt. Todd Royce.
A major concern on Easter weekend is the volume of traffic on Utah's roadways.
"It'll be a little less than on St. Patrick's Day when it lands on a weekend, Halloween when it lands on a weekend and New Year's," Royce said of the number of impaired drivers. "(But) it's kind of the first decent weather holiday (and) we see an increase in the amount of travel."
Easter rivals Memorial Day and Labor Day for the sheer number of cars using the road, Royce said.
Related
100 Deadliest Days, and how you can help keep your teen safe
June, July and August are dangerous driving months for teen drivers, and are referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days because of the increased number of fatal crashes. This is why it is all the more important for teens to put down their phones and be focused on the road when they're behind the wheel.UHP added 175 overtime shifts throughout the state to compensate for the busy roads.
"We feel that makes a difference," the sergeant said.
Drivers are prone to grow complacent in good weather, including on Easter weekend, but especially during the "100 deadliest days" between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Royce said. The number of crashes is higher in the winter, but "the severity goes up in the summer."
Marshall P. Jack, 29, of Fort Duchesne, died Sunday evening when his car rolled on U.S. 40 in Duschene County. Jack was reportedly fleeing from a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer and alcohol use is suspected in the crash. Two others were hospitalized. Email: blockhart@deseretnews.com Twitter: @benlockhartnews
