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SALT LAKE CITY — Traffic deaths related to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs have gone up in Utah, while arrests for DUI have dropped, a new state report shows.
Alcohol-related fatalities increased from 20 to 23, while drug-related deaths jumped from 37 to 45 in the years 2012 to 2013, according to the 12th annual DUI report to the Utah Legislature. The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice compiles the report.
There were 10,901 arrests statewide in the past year, an 11 percent decrease from the previous year. The number of arrests has dropped 36 percent since peaking in 2009.
Mary Lou Emerson, director of the Utah Substance Abuse Advisory Council, attributed the drop in DUI arrests to Utah's increasing population and limited law enforcement resources.
The Utah Highway Patrol intends to make going after drunken drivers a priority in 2015, she said.
Of particular concern is the jump in drug-related traffic deaths, which now outnumber alcohol-related fatalities nearly 2 to 1, Emerson told the Transportation Interim Committee on Wednesday. The drug-related deaths include illegal and prescription drug use.
There's still a widespread belief that over-the-counter and prescription medications are not dangerous, because a doctor prescribes them and in most cases they're legal, she said.
But Emerson noted that a Davis County school bus driver was arrested this week for investigation of DUI after she was allegedly seen weaving on I-15. She had taken prescription drugs for pain, anxiety or high blood pressure that came with warnings that they might cause drowsiness or dizziness, the UHP said.
People, I think, don't take those warnings very seriously and think because they're prescribed by a doctor they must be safe and it's OK to drive. That is really not the case.
–Mary Lou Emerson
"People, I think, don't take those warnings very seriously and think because they're prescribed by a doctor they must be safe and it's OK to drive. That is really not the case," she said.
The report also found:
• The average blood-alcohol content for impaired drivers was 0.14. The highest was 0.44, more than five times the legal limit of 0.08.
• 70 percent of arrests were for a first DUI offense, 19 percent were for a second offense, 7 percent were for a third offense, and 4 percent were for a fourth or subsequent offense.
• Nearly 12 percent of those arrested were under the legal drinking age of 21, and the youngest was 14 years old. The oldest were 82 to 84.
• 72 percent of DUI drivers are male.
• Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties accounted for nearly 72 percent of DUI arrests statewide. Email: romboy@deseretnews.com Twitter: dennisromboy
