Highway Fatalities Up This Year

More work is needed to keep drivers safe on Wyoming highways.

That’s a message from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, which says that although fatalities were down last year due to drivers being more cautious, since the beginning of 2019 there have been 16 fatalities on Wyoming highways, which is a relatively high number for this early in the year.

According to statistics from the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety program, Wyoming had 108 fatalities in 2018, which was one of the lowest in six years. However, WYDOT Director Bill Panos said that the public is encouraged to continue their efforts to keep fatalities down, by buckling up, watching your speed and keeping your eyes on the road.

Now that the winter season has arrived, the highway has seen some drivers not slowing down in adverse weather conditions resulting in some of the fatalities this year. Officials say people need to make sure they slow down for hazardous road conditions, and reconsider their travel plans if conditions are poor. If they must travel, drivers should plan for extra time, and check WYDOT’s 511 website for the latest road and travel conditions.