Thank you for your support of and interest in the Zero Fatalities Safety Summit. Since the launch of the Zero Fatalities program in 2006 and the inaugural Safety Summit in 2007, the Zero Fatalities program has successfully impacted motorists and the public throughout Utah. State Departments of Transportation in Arizona and Nevada have also adopted the program to help reduce roadway injuries and fatalities in their states.

Overall awareness of the Zero Fatalities program in Utah hit 72 percent in 2011, compared to 35 percent in 2006. By the end of 2011, Utah had the lowest number of traffic fatalities in 37 years with 233. Drivers have attributed program efforts to avoiding dangerous driving behaviors, including the top five behaviors killing people in Utah's roads: drowsy driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving and not buckling up. Though the program is helping to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in Utah, every life lost due to traffic deaths still continues to affect us all. Convincing drivers to avoid dangerous driving behaviors and implementing measures to improve safety can help bring us closer to our goal of Zero Fatalities.

Despite the increasing number of drivers on our state's roads, along with the increased number of miles traveled, Utah continues to pave the way in traffic safety. But, as long as traffic fatalities continue to occur, we know there is still more to be done. Utah has the good fortune of housing countless individuals and organizations that have made it their mission to create transportation solutions designed to bring our friends and loved ones home safely each night. It's important for these groups to set aside time to collaborate and share new findings with one another to ultimately reduce the loss of life on Utah's roadways.