Utah's 2008 New Year's Eve Drunk Driving Statistics
New Year’s Eve 2008 produced some interesting Utah drunk driving statistics. According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, there were no major Utah DUI accidents as a result of holiday celebrations last night. However, this is not to say that there were no intoxicated drivers. Utah Highway Patrol reported 14 drunk driving arrests this New Year’s Eve. This is double the amount of DUI arrests made on December 31, 2007. New Year’s Eve 2006 saw 10 DUI arrests.
Police credit the large numbers of arrests this year to increased patrol on the roads. Authorities said eight additional deputies were placed on the roads to watch for intoxicated drivers. While there were several arrests for drunk driving, public intoxication, and fighting, police felt there was a decrease in alcohol-related crimes compared to past New Year’s Eve celebrations.
