In 2003, several Utah agencies came together to form the Utah Safety Leadership Executive Committee (USLEC). This united effort began years before there existed a federal requirement to form such a team. The group began meeting on a regular basis to address the growing number of traffic-related fatalities. The goal was to create a comprehensive, integrated plan aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities, with the ultimate goal of Zero Fatalities on Utah's roads. To maximize their efforts, additional safety advocates were asked to join the team. This new, expanded group is called the Utah Safety Leadership Committee, which continues to grow as our program develops. This united approach is working. Traffic fatalities in Utah have continued on a declining trend for the past 15 years.

Utah's ultimate goal is Zero Fatalities. The loss of even one life is too many. Think about it this way: When you ask someone how many of their loved ones they are willing to lose on the road this year, everyone has the same answer: zero. The Zero Fatalities goal is the foundation of the Utah Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). All of the emphasis areas are data driven and are designed to help Utah reach its ultimate goal — Zero Fatalities.

The SHSP is the culmination of the joint efforts of all traffic safety organizations in Utah and sets the direction for our future collective safety efforts. It cannot be focused on one organization or one specific area of concern. The Plan recognizes the importance each discipline plays in improving safety. Each organization has developed their own safety plan and implementation efforts in their specific area. As the various groups coordinate their safety plans, the Strategic Highway Safety Plan guides and incorporates many of the goals and objectives from the various plans. This Strategic Highway Safety Plan website is intended to coordinate safety efforts for the next 5 years, beginning in 2021.

Utah's goal of Zero Fatalities supports larger goals nationwide and globally. The national strategy on highway safety, Toward Zero Deaths, sets the vision for traffic fatalities in the United States.