Wyoming Drivers Have Fatality Free Memorial Day Weekend

For the first time since 2006, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says it did not investigate one fatal crash over the Memorial Day Holiday period after many Wyoming law enforcement agencies participated in the nationwide May Mobilization and the Wyoming "Click It. Don't Risk It" campaign. It is a united effort to reduce the number of unrestrained fatalities and injuries associated with vehicle crashes. Wyoming had the highest number of traffic deaths per capita in 2009 with 139 deaths on state roads which equals 24.6 deaths per 100,000 residents in a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

Sgt. Stephen Townsend of the Wyoming Highway Patrol has said Wyoming has the lowest seat belt use in the nation and that the rural nature of the state makes many accidents more serious because emergency services can be far away. Troopers believe the number of highway fatalities in the state could be reduced with greater seat-belt use and were stressing seat belt awareness to the motoring public over the holiday.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol had extra Troopers out working overtime shifts and high visibility saturation patrols over the three day weekend.  The Wyoming Highway Patrol communications center in Cheyenne was also busy with dispatchers handling almost 6,000 events. Along with cooperation from the public, the efforts appear to have created a safe holiday weekend.

Troopers made just over 4,400 traffic stops according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol. They also investigated approximately 62 vehicle crashes of which 13 involved injury.  Across the state, 33 arrests were made with 23 of those being for driving while under the influence.

The funding for overtime worked by Troopers was secured by a Federal grant from WYDOT's Highway Safety Program.