We all know that seat belts save lives but Utah Highway Patrol is seeing an increase in fatalities in car crashes involving unbuckled travelers from other states. According to a Utah DPS press release, between 2017 and 2020, there were 78 deaths on Utah highways involving unbuckled people traveling from another state. The Utah Highway Safety Office reports that 75% of out-of-state fatalities were unbuckled in 2020. That’s a 32% increase compared to the previous year. Utah’s current seat belt use rate is 90.2%, near the national average of 90%. To help make Utah’s roads a safer place, the Utah Highway Patrol encourages all drivers and passengers to do their part and buckle up no matter what state they call home. “As the summer travel season continues, we are going to see more visitors from neighboring states coming to Utah,” said UHP Colonel Michael Rapich. “We want those travelers to arrive safe so they don’t miss anything our amazing state has to offer. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to prevent injury or death in a crash.” Click It or Ticket isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives. In 2019, there were 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. To help prevent crash fatalities, Utah Highway Patrol is increasing seat belt enforcement day and night.
