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Shelley Osterloh Reporting If it seems like we've covered more news about fatalities on Utah Highways, it's because its been a bloody year on the roads, especially for bicyclists and pedestrians.
August and September were the deadliest months on Utah roads, with over 30 people each month dying in traffic accidents. So far this year there have been more than 200 fatal crashes, killing 232 people.
Accidents tie up traffic for hours, take a toll on law enforcement and worst of all, cost lives. October numbers are still coming up, but by the end of September both the numbers of fatal crashes and the number of lives lost on Utah road are up from last year.
Still, we're better than Utah's worst recent year. In 2000 there were 244 fatal crashes by the end of September, killing 284 people.
It has been a dangerous year for bicyclists on the roads too. So far this year eight have died, compared with last year's total of three death.
Pedestrian numbers are up too. So far, 21 pedestrians have been killed by vehicles, compared to 19 for all of 2005.
So where are the most dangerous sections of road? Safety experts at the Utah Department of Transportation say increasing commuter traffic on I-80 through Parleys Canyon make it a dangerous road.
Highway Six between Springville and I-70 has been considered a dangerous road, but within the last five years UDOT has put some 110 million dollars in improvements and the number of fatalities there has dropped from 12 last year to four so far this year.
Safety experts say there is one thing you can do to reduce deaths on the road.
Robert Hull Dir. of Traffic and Safety, Utah Dept. of Transportation: "We have a very high number of people that are involved in fatal crashes that are not buckled. And that one single thing can help significantly."
When it comes to avoiding accidents, UDOT's safety campaign called Zero Fatalities stresses five areas where Utah drivers can improve: Avoid driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding and aggressive driving, drowsy driving and, again, wear a seatbelt.
