- The Utah departments of transportation and public safety launched a campaign on Wednesday.
- The campaign highlights real crash stories to prevent fatalities during the "100 deadliest days of summer."
- Families of victims also shared personal stories to emphasize the consequences of dangerous driving.
SANDY — A new display at the Shops at South Towne is showing real-life realities of deadly crashes.
It's part of a public campaign by state safety leaders ahead of Utah's 100 deadliest days of summer. Safety experts are hoping it helps drivers avoid a deadly crash.
The visual display at the Shops at South Towne shows real Utah crash stories and the consequences of deadly crashes.
Utah's departments of transportation and public safety unveiled the display Wednesday, kicking off their campaign ahead of the 100 deadliest days of summer, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when deadly crashes always go up, a concern especially for the holiday weekend.
Over the last five years, Utah has seen 11 deadly crashes over Memorial Day weekend.
To help drivers not become victims, families involved in those deadly crashes shared their stories and the impact the accidents have had on their lives.
"Our son, 17 years old, passed away Dec. 31, 2020, due to excessive speed, where he lost control of his car," said Chuck Groat, whose son was killed in a high-speed crash. "We never saw him graduate high school, we'll never see him get married, we'll never have grandkids; the consequences of his choice live with us every day."
"My dad passed away in December of 2013. He was killed by someone who made the choice to get behind the wheel after taking prescription medication," said Brooke Rummage Simpson, whose father was killed by an impaired driver. "By sharing his story, it's our hope that we can spare another family from having to go through the heartache that we had to go through."
There's typically a common thread in each of these deadly crashes. Someone behind the wheel was either speeding, distracted, impaired, or not wearing a seat belt, etc. Their stories are on display across the food court at the Shops at South Towne.
The message they want everyone to take in is "your choices have consequences." Dangerous driving habits could cost someone their life. So be smart and be safe on the road this summer, especially as so many travel this weekend.
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Brian Carlson
