Utah drivers urged to slow down amid winter weather conditions
Dec 16, 2022, 1:00 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2022, 11:21 am
Vehicles pass a speed limit sign Tuesday, May 5, 2015, in Layton. (Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s not just bad weather creating dangerous driving conditions this week. The Utah Highway Patrol said speeding drivers were part a large number of accidents on roads this week.
UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden said Utah drivers clocked at over 100 miles per hour during this week’s snowstorm. Roden said some of the most serious accidents this week were speed-related.
“You know they want to go around some of the slower traffic so they may get into a lane that’s more slushy or snowy. And as they’re going too fast, then they lose control and spin out and high other vehicles or hit the wall.”
A recent video from the UHP showed a trooper speaking to someone who the trooper said was driving 105 mph. The driver claimed “daydreaming” as his reason for speeding.
Roden said we need to be extra careful amid holiday traffic and winter driving conditions.
“Just be patient and slow down and be courteous as we’re driving. Just take the safety of not only ourselves and the people in our car, but the people around us as well.”
And, Roden said, drivers who have 4-wheel drive may be overly confident in the snow.
“The 4-wheel drive doesn’t do anything to help individuals stop. So something to keep in mind when you’re in those vehicles, yes you may be able to get going faster but you can lose control just like any other vehicle.”
Roden urged drivers to stop driving recklessly.
“Speeds that fast in these types of conditions are so dangerous because if we wreck at those speeds, those can cause some serious and major injuries.”
In a recent report, the UHP said it had written 5,946 100 mph+ tickets in 2022 alone.
