As Utah enters its ‘100 Deadliest Days,’ Summit County health officials urge drivers to slow down

Summer travel picks up across Summit County as Utah enters the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when fatal crashes typically increase. Photo: Alex Jumper

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Utah roads see heavier traffic, more teen drivers, and a higher risk of preventable crashes.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — As summer travel picks up across Utah, the Summit County Health Department is reminding residents that the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known statewide as the “100 Deadliest Days,” a period when fatal crashes typically increase.

The season brings longer daylight hours, family road trips, teen drivers out of school, recreation traffic, and busier highways through communities like Park City, Snyderville Basin, Kamas, Coalville, and along major routes including U.S. 40, I-80, and state Route 224.

The Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Department of Public Safety have warned that the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the deadliest time of year on Utah roads, with drivers urged to slow down, pay attention, and buckle up.

According to Summit County Health, the leading factors contributing to crashes and injuries during the summer period include speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, and not wearing seat belts. The same behaviors are tracked by Zero Fatalities, Utah’s traffic safety campaign, which identifies fatal and serious injury crashes involving speed, impairment, distraction, aggressive driving, drowsy driving, and lack of restraints.

Teen drivers remain a particular concern. The Utah Highway Safety Office’s 2026 statewide problem identification report found that teen drivers make up 9% of licensed drivers in Utah but are involved in 21% of all crashes and 28% of serious injury crashes. The report also found that teen driver-involved crashes accounted for 11.7% of all motor vehicle crash deaths in the state from 2020 to 2024.

The concern follows a difficult year for young people on Utah roads. UDOT and DPS reported that 31 teens died in traffic crashes in 2025, up from 18 in 2024. Overall traffic deaths fell to 264 in 2025, the lowest statewide total since 2019, but officials said serious concerns remained for teens and motorcyclists.

“Every time we travel, we make choices that carry lifelong consequences for ourselves and everyone else on the road,” Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Alexander said in a January UDOT and DPS release. “The reality is that these tragedies are preventable.”

Summit County Health is urging drivers to take basic precautions before heading out this summer: slow down, obey speed limits, adjust for traffic and weather conditions, put phones away, ensure everyone in the vehicle is buckled, drive sober, and talk with teen drivers about expectations before they get behind the wheel.

Parents are also encouraged to model the behavior they want young drivers to follow. State safety officials say parental monitoring can significantly reduce crash risk among inexperienced teen drivers, especially when expectations around passengers, nighttime driving, phones, seat belts, and speed are made clear before summer travel begins.

For Summit County drivers, the reminder comes during a season when mountain roads, construction zones, trailhead traffic, weekend events, and holiday travel can quickly combine. Health officials say the message is simple: the risks are familiar, persistent, and preventable.