SALT LAKE CITY — Labor Day weekend culminates the 100 deadliest days on the road for Utah Highway Patrol troopers working to keep drivers safe.

Part of that work includes highway safety experts in the Utah Department of Public Safety working to reach and educate those who are not wearing their seat belts. There seem to be some misconceptions about wearing seat belts that contribute to fatal crashes, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

"We see over 50 percent of the fatal crash victims not wearing their seat belts," said Sgt. Todd Royce of the UHP.

A crash in West Valley City Thursday afternoon involved people who were not wearing seat belts. Investigators said Carolyn Dawn Hughes, 23, was driving children in her SUV, when it collided with another car near 2700 South and Redwood Road.

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The crash killed Hughes' 3-year-old daughter Paisley Hayden after she was thrown from the car. Medical teams hospitalized her 2-year-old son with critical leg injuries. Police said Hughes and the remaining six children had scrapes and bruises as as result of the crash.

At least three of those children belong to another family. Police said at the time of the crash that no one in the SUV was wearing a seat belt. Hughes was cited May 23, 2014 for having kids unbuckled in her vehicle, according to court documents.

The good news is that most Utahns are wearing their seat belts, according to officials. The driver of the second car involved in Thursday's crash, 21-year-old Josue Diaz-Cruz of West Valley City, broke his arm. He was wearing a seat belt at the time.

A 2014 Utah Highway Safety Office survey shows that roughly 83 percent of Utahns are wearing seat belts while driving. Drivers in urban counties wore their seat belts at a rate of 85.5 percent compared to drivers in rural counties who wore their seat belts at a rate of 73.8 percent.

The same survey also shows that nearly two-thirds, or 61.7 percent, of fatal crashes in Utah last year involved men ages 15-49 who were not wearing seat belts. More than half, 68.3 percent, were men who lived in rural areas and drove trucks.

"There's a misconception that because it's maybe a slower road or they're not on the freeway or they're not in city driving that there's not going to be as much of a risk," said Amy Winkler, occupant protection specialist of the Utah Department of Public Safety's Highway Safety Office. "But, there's actually more fatalities in rural communities."

Of Utah's 29 counties, six are considered urban and contribute to 85 percent of the state's population, and 23 counties are rural, according to the Utah Highway Safety Office. The Highway Safety Office numbers show 53.8 percent of the unbuckled fatalities occurred in rural counties. Urban counties contributed to 46.2 percent of unbuckled occupant fatalities, which include Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, Washington and Weber counties.

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Winkler said her office continues working to educate people who may not be used to owning vehicles or driving them, and therefore may not be used to using child safety seats or seat belts. Winkler said that some of the people who fit into this category are homeless or recent immigrants.

"They may not even have a vehicle where they're from, so for them it's getting to know the culture and learning what we're encouraging," Winkler said. "Or with the homeless community, they still travel with other people, so no matter how short the trip, we want to make sure everyone is properly restrained (in the vehicle)."

Some of the programs the Highway Safety Office offers include education on child passenger safety. Winkler said there are 74 public fitting stations where families can receive education on child car seats. The office also partners with the Utah Department of Health to offer resources on low-cost car seats. There are events throughout the year, such as Child Passenger Safety Week, which will take place Sept. 13-19, and the National Seat Check, which will take place Saturday, Sept. 19.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.

"Many times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts," according to the NHTSA website.

"People may think that they're just going around the corner or they're running a quick errand, that they don't need their seat belt," Winkler said. "Even if someone is a good driver or not going very fast, there are other people on the roads that are not paying attention and then for whatever reason, a crash occurs and tragedy strikes."

Winkler said she understands that there are those who have experienced tragedy in their families, despite wearing seat belts in vehicles.

"The vehicle was designed to keep us in place during a crash and protect us. They actually call this place 'the room to live,'" Winkler said. "Unfortunately there are crashes that are unsurvivable but you have a much greater chance of surviving that crash if you're wearing your seat belt."

Winkler also said passengers in cars can become projectiles and get thrown from vehicles, "so it's important that everyone wear their seat belts no matter where you're sitting in the vehicle."

As for the end of the 100 deadliest days on Utah highways, state troopers are hoping for the best.

"We're looking for zero fatalities this weekend," Royce said. "If you don't buckle up for yourself, at least buckle up for your loved ones."

Utahns can find more information on child seat belt safety, seat belt education and resources at clickitutah.org.

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