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Holladay Journal

‘Slow Down in Your Town’ video encourages safe summer driving

Jul 01, 2022 09:49AM ● By Peri Kinder

By Peri Kinder | [email protected]

Police chiefs and mayors in the Salt Lake Valley joined forces to create a video asking drivers to slow down. Utah Department of Transportation officials reports that Utah averages 100 traffic fatalities between Memorial Day and Labor Day, approximately one death per day.

To combat dangerous driving practices like speeding, the mayors and police chiefs urge residents to drive the speed limit and be aware of road conditions.

“We are now in the 100 deadliest days of summer, the time of year when more drivers are traveling to destinations and traffic fatalities rise. Many of the fatal accidents are caused by excessive speed,” said Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski.

The goal of the “Slow Down in Your Town” message comes after the summer of 2021, one of the deadliest summers in Utah history due to fatal traffic accidents.

“Law enforcement is heavily enforcing traffic and speeding laws but we can’t be everywhere,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

The safety video urge drivers to slow down when there are dangerous road conditions caused by weather or construction, be aware of cyclists and give them ample space, and to be safe behind the wheel as speeding is a key factor in auto accidents. Distracted driving and driving under the influence are other factors that contribute to auto fatalities.

“I have joined the other mayors and police chiefs in the Salt Lake Valley to send a strong message to our residents to slow down,” Zoltanski said. “This is not just a Sandy issue; excessive speed is creating unsafe conditions in all of our communities. The goal of the ‘Slow Down in Your Town’ video is to amplify the message across the county. We can all solve the issue of unsafe roads by just slowing down.”

View the video at youtube.com/watch?v=eK1aRoXSTGo.