5 deaths in Utah result of drowsy driving this summer


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SALT LAKE CITY — Drowsy driving killed three people in a car crash Tuesday, and for everyone touched by these deaths — from close friends and family to supporters who care about their football families — this rollover drives home the point that even one fatality is too many.

Police say the rollover was most likely caused by "driver inattention or fatigue." Though the rates are slowly declining, each year, hundreds of people are killed on Utah's roadways. In 2012, 14 of 215 total traffic deaths were the result of drowsy driving, according to the [Zero Fatalities website](<http://ut.zerofatalities.com/index.php >). So far this year, 108 people have died in a traffic-related incident, and this summer, five people have died as a result of driving drowsy.

"While we are making a little bit of progress, we are definitely not where we need to be, which is zero fatalities," said Tania Mashburn, Utah Department of Transportation spokesperson.

The people who investigate the crashes and work with the numbers say drowsy driving is a very under-reported cause of crashes. Investigators have to rule out every other possible cause, and there's still rarely proof of drowsy driving.

Traffic fatalities by the numbers
2008, through July: 178
2008 total: 276
2012, through July: 120
2012 total: 215
2013 so far: 108

Info: Zero Fatalities

"You take away everything that it could possibly be, and maybe it was drowsy driving," said Zero Fatalities spokesperson Stacy Johnson.

Though it is not always reported, its results have a powerful, negative impact on more people than just the deceased.

"It's a ripple effect. It can happen to one person, but so many people are affected," Johnson said.

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Jed Boal

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