Home

Public Health Alerts

Clinic Locations

Programs/Services

Health Connection

Birth and Death Certificates

Request Records

Board of Health

Health Regulations

Environmental Health

Food Establishment/Restaurant Inspections

Emergency Preparedness

Employment

Media

About Us

Teen Driver Safety

Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens nationwide. Teen drivers represented 8% of the licensed drivers in Utah, yet they were involved in a disproportionate percent of crashes; 26% of all motor vehicle crashes and 18% of all fatal crashes.

Two Stories Parents Would Rather Not Tell: A Salt Lake County Perspective

The stories of these Salt Lake families and eleven others from across Utah were originally included in a 2008 Teen Memorial booklet published in collaboration with the Don't Drive Stupid Campaign. Salt Lake Valley Health Department is a participating partner in this campaign and wanted to share stories that would directly affect teens in the Salt Lake County area.

"All They Left Were Memories"

Shares the stories of teens who died in 2010 on Utah roads.

Sometimes what it takes to save a life is hearing how someone lost theirs. Parents who have lost teens on Utah's roads share their stories of what caused those crashes and the aftermath of trying to live on after suffering such a loss. They have agreed to share their stories in hopes of reminding people of the responsibility we bear when we get behind the wheel of a vehicle. View past editions of the booklet.

Find out more.

Fact sheet from Utah Department of Health (136 KB)

Program Activities

Salt Lake Valley Health Department works with Zero Fatalities and Don't Drive Stupid to bring interactive and educational Traffic Safety Programs to High Schools in Salt Lake County. We also collaborate with the Adopt-A-High School program through the Utah Highway Patrol.  Please contact us to find out more or to schedule activities.

• Distract a Match game: A shape and color matching game used to demonstrate the effect of distractions on multi-tasking and the “tunnel vision” effect that results from divided attention failure. Participants match shapes, but lay mismatched colors as they race against the clock.
• Fatal Vision goggles: A training tool used to demonstrate the concept of impairment and the dangers of impaired driving.
• Public Service Announcements. 
• Buckle Up stencils: Make your message clear!  We provide the paint and stencils needed to make a lasting, clear message, right where the students see it every day.
• Fake tickets for not buckling up. 
• Death Day: Grim Reaper costumes worn by student body officers, then students picked to represent victims of teen motor vehicle crashes.
• Crashed Car Display: courtesy Zero Fatalities
• Seat Belt Convincer: courtesy Utah Highway Patrol
• Teen Driving Survival Kit: more ideas for activities (3 MB)
• www.dontdrivestupid.com

Follow Don't Drive Stupid on Facebook!

For more information on these programs, contact Amy Dastrup at (385) 468-3879.

Fun Stuff

How do distractions affect your reaction time?
Play Gauging Your Distraction to find out!

Parents are the Key