Motor Vehicle Safety

Motor vehicle crashes take a terrible toll on Utah families and communities. On average, crashes account for 310 deaths, 2,200 hospitalizations, and 28,900 emergency department visits a year for Utah residents.Motor vehicle crash death rates are highest in the 15-19 and 70+ age groups. Motor vehicle crash hospitalization and emergency department visit rates are highest in the 15-19 age group. In 2005, hospital and emergency department charges for Utah motor vehicle crash victims totaled $85.4 million.

Teenagers are especially at risk of dying or being injured from motor vehicles. Teen drivers represented 7% of the licensed drivers in Utah in 2005, yet they were involved in a disproportionate percent of crashes; 27% of all motor vehicle crashes and 18% of all fatal crashes. On the basis of miles driven, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Increasing teen seatbelt use is one way to decrease the leading cause of death to teens. To find out more information and additional ways to reduce teen motor vehicle deaths and injuries please click here .

In the above paragraphs you may have noted the repeated use of the word "crash". You also my have noted the word "accident" is never used. That's because injury prevention experts know that most crashes aren't accidents, but are caused instead by simple human error: speeding, drinking and driving and falling asleep at the wheel are just some of the mistakes drivers make every day.

When crashes do occur, there is overwhelming evidence that using seatbelts and car seats is the best way to stay alive. In Utah, unbelted occupants were 33 times more likely to die than those who wore a seatbelt in 2005. (http://highwaysafety.utah.gov/crash/2005/Section2OccupantProtection2005.pdf).

Utah law requires all children under the age of 19 to be properly restrained in a motor vehicle. While adults are also required by law to wear seatbelts in Utah, enforcement is via a "secondary seatbelt law" that allows officers to cite unbelted drivers only if they are pulled over for another, unrelated traffic violation.