SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Highway Patrol will add extra DUI patrols this week to catch drunk, distracted or drowsy drivers.
This decision comes in the wake of the upcoming “Holy War” game between BYU and the University of Utah, as well as the Labor Day holiday.
Overall fatal drunk driving crashes are down from last year. But UHP has seen an uptick in dangerous accidents this month.
Corporal Colton Freckleton is not surprised.
“People are able to get that extra day in [during the holiday], and they usually will partake in multiple drinks,” Freckleton says.
Freckleton also says more people aren’t wearing seatbelts. This increases their odds of getting thrown from the car or being involved in a fatal crash.
Freckleton says drowsy driving is also a big worry.
“Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as impaired driving. [Drivers] don’t realize that their nodding off can result in them leaving the roadway and crashing into something,” Freckleton says.
KSL and U-DOT are teaming up to help make today – and every day – a ZERO FATALITIES DAY. Go to zerofatalitiesudot.com for more information.