The recent auto-cyclist accident that killed one bicyclist and injured his daughter on Pages Lane in West Bountiful has residents worried for the safety of their families. Since the news broke that the driver of the vehicle tested to be under the influence of four different drugs, anxiety has worsened.

“It really scared me. My kids were literally riding bikes in that exact spot at the same time of day, the day before the accident,” said West Bountiful resident Beth Martineau.

After trending downward in 2019, arrests involving a person driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol have significantly increased along the Wasatch Front in the last few years. In West Bountiful, the Police Department has seen a major jump in DUI arrests in 2022 over 2021.

“From January to August of 2021 we had 7 DUI arrests. From January to August of 2022 we had 29 arrests,” said West Bountiful Chief of Police Brandon Erikson.

Chief Erikson said the department was not fully staffed until the second half of 2022, so those numbers are expected to rise even more.

“Now that we are [fully staffed], I’m sure that has had some impact in detection because our resources aren’t as strained. It allows officers to focus on detection during times where they aren’t tied up on calls,” Erikson said.

 Along with having more officers available to detect impaired drivers, the state of Utah provides specific DUI enforcement shifts.

“During DUI shifts, the officer is focused on looking for violations that are common with impaired driving. Slow reactions, drifting in or out of travel lanes, running stop lights / signs etc. The officers are not assigned to the call rotation so they can specifically focus on enforcement and detection,” Erekson said.

Still, residents are shaken.

“It has totally changed the way I go out on walks with my kids. I know I need to be more vigilant to ensure their safety. I feel like the small town sense we had in our neighborhood was taken away,” said Martineau.

The police department says there are things locals can do to add a measure of protection for their families.

“Pedestrians should walk along sidewalks when possible. When sidewalks aren’t available, they should wear bright colored reflective clothing especially in low light. Bicyclists should always ride with the flow of traffic in designated bicycle lanes if available. They should also wear helmets and are required to have a headlight and flashing red light or red reflector at the rear of their bicycle and reflectors on the sides,” Erekson said.

With Halloween around the corner, he advises families to take precautions while they are out enjoying the festivities.

“If you’re going to walk with your children, walk on sidewalks. Make sure to inspect your children’s candy to ensure everything is properly packaged. We have extra officers out the night of Halloween driving the neighborhoods and handing out glowsticks to make pedestrians more visible,” he said. 

If you suspect someone of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you are encouraged to call 911. λ