Alcohol-involved Utah traffic deaths doubled during pandemic

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Transportation officials have reported nearly twice as many people died in alcohol-involved crashes on Utah roads last year compared to the year before, despite less commuter traffic during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported the state Department of Transportation said there were 61 fatal crashes involving alcohol last year compared to the 32 crashes in 2019.

Department officials said there was also an 11% increase in traffic fatalities in the state from 2019 to 2020, which includes fatal alcohol-involved crashes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said there was a 7% increase in traffic fatalities over the past year and a 9% increase in alcohol-involved fatalities across the U.S.