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From 1967
to 1997, over 1.3 million crashes
occurred in Utah with nearly half a
million of the crashes causing injuries
and 8,392 causing fatalities. Table
1.01 shows the Utah crash rates have
decreased significantly over the past 30
years. The highest crash rate
occurred in 1968 at 623.4 crashes per 100
million vehicle miles traveled (MVMT).
The lowest crash rate occurred in 1997 at
269.3 crashes per 100 MVMT. The
injury crash rate per 100 MVMT high was
in 1970 (175.5) and the low was in 1991
(89.4). The fatal crash rate per
100 MVMT high occurred in 1968 (4.7) and
the low occurred in 1992 (1.4). When
comparing years, rates should be used
rather than the crude number of events
because they provide a more accurate
picture of trends over time. The
rates used in this report are based on
the annual vehicle miles traveled. The
Utah Department of Transportation
supplied the number of vehicle miles
traveled each year.
There was a change in crash rates from
1996 to 1997. In 1997, the
statewide crash rate per 100 million
vehicle miles traveled was 269.3, a 15%
decrease from the 1996 rate. The 1997
injury crash rate decreased 5% from
1996. The fatal crash rate per 100
million vehicle miles traveled was
unchanged from 1996 to 1997.
Some of these changes may be due
to crash reporting system as well as
other factors. During the time period
1967 to 1997 the crash reporting criteria
changed; most notably, 1997 was the first
year to excluded crashes occurring on
private property. This change
probably accounts for the decrease in
crashes and injury crashes from the
previous year, but does not impact the
reporting of fatal crashes.
Additionally, improvements in the medical
system may reduce fatalities but increase
the number of injuries. Increased
use of seatbelts; improvements in the
biomechanical design of roadways and
vehicles; legislation, such as speed
limits, drunk driving laws and other
injury prevention strategies, have
contributed to the overall patterns of
injury and fatal motor vehicle crashes,
by decreasing crashes and the severity of
crash injuries.
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