Child & Adolescent Injury

“When we ask people if they think Zero Fatalities on Utah’s roads is an achievable goal, most people tell us no. But when we ask them how many of their loved ones they’d be willing to lose in a crash, they quickly realize that Zero is the only acceptable number.”

Utah statistics

  • Each year in Utah, an average of 25 students are hurt at school each school day.1
  • Over 3,000 students are sent home each school year due to student injuries.
  • During the 2020–2024 school years, 2,405  Utah students suffered a concussion while at school.1
  • In 2023, a crash occurred in Utah every 8.8 minutes, a person was injured in a crash every 19.7 minutes, and a person died in a crash every 31.4 hours.2
  • Motor vehicle crashes take a terrible toll on Utah families and communities and are a leading cause of injury-related death for Utahns.
  • According to the Utah Highway Safety Office, in 2023 there were 60,021 motor vehicle crashes on public roadways in Utah, resulting in 26,637 injuries and 279 deaths.2
See the data
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Safe Kids Utah helps families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Most people are surprised to learn preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. Throughout the world, almost 1 million children die of an injury each year, and almost every 1 of these tragedies is preventable.

Losing 1 child is 1 too many, and we don't want any parent to have to endure the loss of a child. We're calling on everyone to come together, to raise awareness and to get involved. Saving lives is a decision we can all make every day.

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Ways to prevent crashes

  • Always wear a seatbelt when traveling in any vehicle.
  • Use car seats with age-appropriate children (0–8) and know how to install the car seat correctly.
  • Encourage seatbelt usage as a norm throughout your community.
  • Support policies that reduce or prevent impaired driving (interlocks, etc).
  • Create environments that prevent impaired driving (designated drivers, etc).
  • Encourage your school to provide playgrounds with soft surfaces.
  • Build family support and connectedness.
  • Build a positive relationship and commitment to school administrators.
  • Provide proper supervision/ parental engagement.
  • Teach your child problem-solving skills.

Teen driving

In 2021, 46 teenage drivers were involved in a fatal crash; a total of 31 teens were killed in these crashes. Following too closely was the number one contributing factor in crashes involving teens, followed by failure to yield right-of-way.3 

The good news is that teen driver crashes have been decreasing since 1996. And with the passing of Utah’s Graduated Driver License or GDL laws, the motor vehicle crash death rate for teens ages 15–17 has decreased by 67% since 1999.4. Parents play an essential role in keeping their teens safe on the road. Teen crashes can be reduced as parents provide their child with quality, quantity, and diversity of driving practice to develop critical skills.5

In 2021, 34 teens lost their lives on Utah’s roads.

Read their stories.

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Teen memoriams

If you or someone you know has lost a teen in a motor vehicle crash, we want to hear your story. Each year, we publish a Teen Memoriam, which tells the stories of teens killed on Utah roads the previous year, as told by their grieving families. The books are given to driver education instructors throughout the state. The books have been evaluated in several high schools, and data analysis showed that students were more likely to adhere to Utah's Graduated Driver Licensing laws, commit to driving safely, and understand the risks associated with driving after reading them. In addition, 95% of students who had read the books felt that other teens learning to drive should read these stories.

Student injuries

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services tracks these injuries through a voluntary program called the Student Injury Reporting System. The data helps schools identify problem areas, eliminate risks for injury (such as repairing broken equipment), and develop programs to reduce students’ risks for injury.

If you have questions please email [email protected].

Please review this document for full Student Injury Reporting System registration instructions.

If you work at a school and must report injuries, please complete this form with your work email.

Each year in Utah, an average of 25 students are hurt at school each school day.

Elementary school injuries

In Utah elementary schools (grades K–6), 2,342 student injuries were reported during the 2024–2025 school year. In addition, among elementary school students (grades K–6):
  • 68% of student injuries occurred during recess.
  • Running (23%), playing on bars (18%), and walking (9%) are the activities during which injuries occur the most.
  • The most common injuries received are fracture/breaks (43%), cut/lacerations (17%), bump/bruise/contusions (12%), and concussions (9%),

Prevention tips

  • Establish playground safety rules (such as no pushing, crowding, or shoving) and consequences for breaking them.

  • Always have trained adult supervisors present who:

    • Spread out and avoid congregating in groups.
    • Walk around the entire perimeter of the playground.
    • Find areas that allow sight from one end of the playground to the other.
  • Develop a playground inspection and equipment maintenance checklist.
  • Schedule regular inspections and promptly repair broken playground equipment.
  • Establish a school climate that demonstrates respect, support, and caring and does not tolerate harassment or bullying.
  • Provide first aid training for school staff as outlined by state guidelines.
“Our school’s recess rules are exactly what they should be. The rules are in place to keep us out of harm’s way.”
Darrell, a 5th grade student
“Our school’s recess rules are exactly what they should be. The rules are in place to keep us out of harm’s way.”
Darrell, a 5th grade student

Secondary public school injuries

In Utah secondary schools (grades 7–12), 1,938 student injuries were reported during the 2024-2025 school year. In addition, among secondary school students (grades 7–12):
  • 31% of student injuries occur during P.E. class. Collisions cause 31% of these injuries, followed by overexertion/twisted (21%), and tripping or slipping (19%).
  • The most common activities during which injuries occur during PE class were playing basketball (11%), running (10%), and weight lifting (9%).
  • The most common injuries received were fractures/breaks (21%), cuts/lacerations (13%), sprains/strains/tears (13%), and concussions (12%).

References

  1. Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Violence and Injury Prevention Program, Student Injury Reporting System, 2020-2024 school year data queried via Utah’s Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health (IBIS-PH) [cited 2026 September].
  2. Utah Crash Facts 2023, Utah Department of Public Safety https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/2023-crash-facts/.
  3. Crash Data Dashboard, Utah Department of Public Safety.
  4. Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 1999–2025 data queried via Utah’s Indicator Based Information System for Public Health (IBIS-PH) [cited 2026 September].
  5. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Teen Driver Source, https://teendriversource.research.chop.edu/teen-crash-risks-prevention/car-accident-prevention .