Utah Highway Patrol ramps up speed, DUI enforcement during holiday weekend

OREM — As Pioneer Day celebrations continue, you may notice more Utah Highway Patrol troopers on the roads.

Through the end of day Sunday, UHP said it is deploying extra resources to specifically crack down on speeding and driving under the influence.

As he began his holiday shift Thursday afternoon, it took just seconds for UHP Cpl. Shawn Cornwall to find somebody going too fast on I-15 in Utah County.

Speeding is one offense troopers are particularly focused on during the holiday weekend.

"Across the state, we have 50-plus extra speed shifts," Cornwall said, "and then we've got 20-plus extra DUI shifts for the holiday weekend."

According to UHP, speed is consistently a factor in deadly crashes. In fact, this is currently the period known in Utah as the "100 deadliest days" between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Additionally, with the holiday, driving under the influence is a big concern, too.

"If you do choose to drink and drive, hopefully one of us finds you and you get to spend a night in jail," Cornwall said.

As for speeding, Cornwall gave the driver he pulled over in Utah County a warning for going 80 miles per hour. He hopes the driver gets the message.

"Speed is a prevalent issue, especially in Utah County," said Cornwall. "We take it seriously. We try to enforce it as much as we can, but it's just a continual problem."

Ultimately, Cornwall said, the goal of all this enforcement is simple.

"We just hope everybody makes it home safe," he said.

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