Utah Crash Summary, 2006

NHTSA · 2006 · ROSA P / Utah. Dept. of Public Safety

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Summary

The *Utah Crash Summary 2006*, published by the Utah Department of Public Safety Highway Safety Office, provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of motor vehicle crashes in Utah for the year 2006. The report aims to identify trends and contributing factors to traffic-related deaths and injuries, thereby informing safety programs and public health initiatives. The data is derived from law enforcement crash reports filed for incidents involving injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000, supplemented by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for fatal crashes. In 2006, Utah recorded 56,187 total crashes involving 143,907 individuals, resulting in 27,257 injuries and 287 deaths. While the total number of crashes increased by 2.3% from 2005, the crash rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased by 1.8%. The injury rate per VMT dropped significantly by 10.4%, and the fatal crash rate remained relatively stable with a slight 1.1% increase. Long-term trends indicate substantial progress; the death rate per 100 million VMT was 1.11 in 2006, well below the U.S. rate of 1.41 and representing a 38.5% decrease over the preceding decade. The estimated economic loss from crashes in 2006 was $1.4 billion. Key findings highlight specific risk factors and demographics. Speed-related crashes accounted for 39% of all deaths, while unbelted occupants represented 31% of fatalities. Alcohol and other drug-related crashes saw a concerning 51% increase in deaths compared to 2005. Teenage drivers were involved in 26% of all crashes and 17% of fatal crashes. Gender disparities were evident, with males comprising 54% of all persons involved but 67.2% of deaths. Geographically, while 75% of all crashes occurred in urban areas, 54% of fatal crashes occurred in rural areas, where crashes were 3.5 times more likely to be fatal. Leading contributing factors for all crashes included following too closely and failure to yield, whereas reckless driving and speeding were the primary factors in fatal crashes. The report concludes that while measurable progress has been made through legislation, enforcement, and engineering improvements, traffic safety remains a critical priority. Specific areas of concern include the rise in alcohol-related fatalities, low child restraint use among 5-8-year-olds (only 20%), and a 45% increase in pedestrian deaths. The document serves as a resource for specialists to target interventions, emphasizing Utah’s goal of zero fatalities.

Key finding

Speed-related crashes accounted for 39% of all traffic deaths in Utah in 2006, and pedestrian fatalities increased by 45% compared to the previous year.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• fatality injury trends
• vru crash typology
• comparative international
• sex gender

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence