Tooele County’s population and roadway traffic has skyrocketed over the past 10 years, so it would be logical to assume fatal accidents would have risen in direct proportion. Statistics released last week by the Utah Department of Transportation show that’s not the case however. For the last four years, the total number of fatalities has been near a decade low.

Several entities deserve credit for keeping down traffic fatalities.

First off, UDOT has made the county’s highways safer, beginning with the successful widening of SR-36 in 2005. Since that year, there have never been more than 15 fatalities on county roadways in a single year, and accidents in general on SR-36 have dropped dramatically. UDOT has also taken steps to improve safety on other major roads, including I-80 where the majority of fatal accidents in the county occur. Reflective paint and signage, guard rails, concrete barriers, cable wire median barriers and rumble strips are all examples of enhancements undertaken to improve safety.

Law enforcement authorities also deserve much of the credit for reducing traffic fatalities on a per capita basis. Not only have they beefed up their presence on roadways, but they have also improved response times to accidents, which, coupled with faster response times from other first responders, helps saves lives. The Utah Highway Patrol, the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police forces have also thrown their collective weight behind many motorist safety campaigns that have, among other successes, increased seat belt usage and made drivers more aware of the dangers of driving drunk or drowsy.

Motorists themselves also deserve praise for making roadways safer. The majority of drivers have taken the aforementioned public safety messages to heart — buckling up in greater numbers, utilizing designated drivers, pulling off the road when drowsy and generally being more vigilant as traffic has increased.

Despite fatal accidents staying relatively low, however, there remains work to be done. All of the stakeholders above need to be aggressive in combating new driving distractions caused by texting and cell phone use. UDOT needs to continually monitor the speed limits and timing of traffic lights on SR-36 to reduce collisions in intersections along the increasingly busy road. Finally, law enforcement authorities need to keep their foot on the gas as regards public safety awareness campaigns to ensure motorists don’t backslide into bad habits.

Tooele County roadways do indeed appear to be safer despite an increase in traffic, but keeping them that way will require all of us doing our part.