Partners are soliciting community member’s feedback regarding traffic safety challenges on their roadways
CEDAR CITY, UTAH (October 15th, 2024) — Public safety leaders from Cedar City and the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Highway Safety Office (UHSO) are inviting community members to participate in an important community event focused on traffic safety. This forum fosters public participation and engagement to understand community members’ concerns about traffic safety. The Highway Safety Office aims to create an open forum where residents can share their insights, experiences, and suggestions. By listening to the community, officials will gather valuable input that will shape the direction of future traffic safety projects and programs.
Representatives from Cedar City government, Cedar City Police, Southern Utah University Police, Utah Dept. of Transportation, Utah Highway Safety Office, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Zero Fatalities, and Southwest Public Health Department will be on hand to listen to community feedback, answer questions, and outline ongoing safety initiatives. It will take place on Thursday, October 17th, 2024. The event will be held at the Southern Utah University Campus Hunter Alumni Center, Gilbert Great Hall, 405 W University Blvd, Cedar City, UT 84720, from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
This interactive session provides a unique opportunity for all residents to share their observations, identify problem areas, and propose solutions regarding traffic safety in their local neighborhoods. The forum invites teen drivers and their parents to attend and offer feedback, as Iron County has had the highest number of rural teen driver-related crashes for the past five years.
“We are committed to making our streets safer for everyone, and we want to hear directly from the public about the challenges they face on our roadways,” said Chief Darin Adams, Cedar City Police Department. “Together, our partners will listen and take your feedback to ensure that ongoing public safety strategies are considered and developed as we reduce crashes and injuries in our community.”
The forum will highlight the top five contributing factors in Cedar City’s traffic crashes. Teen drivers are overrepresented as the top factor in local crashes at 31.56% (10.4% higher than the statewide percentage). Other factors include Older Drivers at 17.33%, Distracted Drivers at 10.08%, Speeding at 9.92%, and Unrestrained Drivers at 3.38%.
“The Highway Safety Office provides grants and programs to local partners committed to improving road safety. Crash data shows that teen driver crashes are overrepresented in Cedar City. Hearing from the community, especially those overrepresented in the data, provides an opportunity to improve safety measures, ultimately reducing crashes and fatalities,” said Robyn LaLumia, Director of the Utah Highway Safety Office.
The event is open to the public, and community members are invited to attend. Parking will be available in lots 2 and 3 (see attached map). Attendees can meet with officials in an informal open-house setting, browse presentation booths, and learn about local crash data. Attendees are encouraged to mark large maps with their specific areas of concern, make suggestions, and take a brief anonymous online survey to share their thoughts. If community members are not able to attend, UHSO encourages them to take the survey here: https://utconcierge.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEnlyPz3RLoG39s
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Media Contact:
Jason Mettmann, Communications Manager
Utah Department of Public Safety
Highway Safety Office
801.664.7899
[email protected]