UDOT traffic office reports decline in fatalities overall but a troubling rise in motorcycle deaths

Patrick Cowley, Director of Traffic and Safety (presenting for Troy Peterson), briefed the Commission on crash and fatality trends on Aug. 12. Staff said vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is increasing (reported ~23 billion VMT year‑to‑date) and the fatality rate is 0.67 per 100 million VMT. Cowley said that, compared with national figures, Utah’s rate is low but still above the agency’s zero‑fatalities goal.

Cowley highlighted a summer spike in motorcycle fatalities: motorcyclists accounted for roughly 66% of vulnerable user fatalities in the reported period, a share the agency said was unusually high. "This summer has been much higher than we had anticipated," Cowley said. He said staff are investigating causes and will expand education and outreach with law enforcement and the Highway Safety Office.

Commissioners pressed whether fatalities can be apportioned to human behavior versus infrastructure. Cowley and staff said analysis attributes up to ~96% of fatalities to human behavior, but they also described project‑level safety reviews (project safety analysis) that can identify engineering countermeasures to incorporate into funded projects. The department reiterated its four‑part approach — education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency response — and noted ongoing campaigns and targeted countermeasures for motorcycle safety.