UHP to crackdown on DUIs in Southern Utah through Labor Day weekend

Drivers in Southern Utah can expect to see a huge increase in DUI enforcement heading into Labor Day weekend.

ABC4 News went on a ride-a-long with Utah Highway Patrol troopers who said they’ll be paying special attention to certain areas along Interstate 15, including near Cedar City where several recent DUI crashes took place.

Sgt. Ryan Bauer with the Utah Highway Patrol said staff are coming to the end of what they call the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.”

“We average one fatality every day between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend,” Bauer said. “We don’t want any fatalities this weekend.”

UHP said they’re working more than 200 extra DUI shifts around the clock, looking out for speeding, seat belts, and aggressive and distracted driving.

Last year over the Labor Day weekend, UHP said they handled two fatal crashes with four deaths.

This weekend, troopers said they’ll make at least a half dozen DUI arrests along I-15 near Cedar City, an area they said is especially prone to impaired driving because many drugs are being funneled from south of the U.S. border.

“A lot of times they think they can use their recreational drugs or sometimes even their prescription drugs when they shouldn’t be and still driving a car,” Bauer said. “So we’re gonna be looking at that really heavily too.”

Bauer said a Cedar City woman was charged with a DUI in May after driving 40 miles in the wrong direction on I-15.

Officials said the number one reason why Utahns risk driving impaired is because they are overconfident with how sober they are.

UHP encourages Utahns to designate a sober driver, call a cab or a sober friend or use rideshare.