(Layton, UT) — New statistics show auto-pedestrian crashes during the traditional school year are on the rise in the state. The Utah Department of Public Safety’s Highway Safety Office says that 990 Utahns were hit by vehicles during the 2023-24 school year which was calculated as running from August 1st to June 30th. Of those, there were 34 fatalities. In the year before, 755 people were hit by vehicles and 36 people died. A significant number of auto-pedestrian crashes occur during peak school commute hours for school which are 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.