SALT LAKE CITY, UT – August 25, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
This report, distributed by Swenson & Shelley Law, examines preliminary state data showing Utah traffic fatalities fell to 264 in 2025, according to figures published jointly by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) on January 6, 2026.
The total marks a decline from 277 deaths recorded in 2024 and is the lowest annual figure in the state since 2019, when 248 people died in traffic crashes statewide, according to the same report. UDOT and DPS noted that the figures are preliminary and may change as official crash reports continue to be received.
Despite the overall decline, the report identified two groups where fatalities moved in the opposite direction. Motorcyclist deaths rose by 32 percent compared to 2024, and teen fatalities nearly doubled, climbing from 18 in 2024 to 31 in 2025. “Behind every number is a person, and a family forever changed,” said Shaunna Burbidge, Zero Fatalities program manager, in a statement accompanying the report.
Earlier in the year, UDOT and DPS had reported a nearly 10 percent year-to-date decrease in traffic fatalities heading into the summer travel season, with an 18 percent drop recorded during the “100 Deadliest Days” between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That stretch saw the lowest number of summer crashes in a decade, according to the agencies, even as motorcyclist fatalities continued to climb.
According to UDOT Region 3 spokesperson Wyatt Woolley, cited in a Daily Herald report published January 9, 2026, roughly 96 percent of fatalities on Utah County roads are tied to driver behavior such as speeding or impaired driving rather than unavoidable circumstances. The same report noted that teen drivers accounted for roughly 27 percent of all crashes in Utah County in 2025, more than any other age group.
Intersection-related collisions also remain a significant factor in Salt Lake City traffic injuries each year. State officials have offered differing explanations for the rise in motorcyclist deaths statewide, citing speed, difficulty negotiating curves, and motorcycles turning left, as well as a longer riding season and drivers misjudging distance at intersections.
Utah follows a modified comparative fault rule for personal injury claims arising from car accidents and other incidents. Under this system, a person found to be 50 percent or more at fault for a crash cannot recover compensation, and any recovery for someone found partially at fault is reduced in proportion to their assigned share of responsibility.
Utah is also a no-fault auto insurance state. Personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage generally pays for a portion of a driver’s own medical bills and lost wages after a crash regardless of who caused it, though drivers whose injuries meet the state’s specified injury threshold may still pursue a separate claim directly against an at-fault driver for damages beyond what PIP covers.
The 2025 traffic fatality data referenced in this release was compiled by UDOT and DPS, while the county-level figures were reported independently by the Daily Herald. The statistics are presented for general public awareness and remain subject to revision as final crash reports are processed in the months ahead.
Swenson & Shelley Law represents car accident victims in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah, along with clients pursuing motorcycle accident, truck accident, e-bike accident, and wrongful death claims.
###
For more information about Swenson & Shelley Law, contact the company here:
Swenson & Shelley Law
Swenson & Shelley Law
+1 (801) 447-5464
kevin@swensonshelley.com
2150 1300 E #530, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
