Drive 25, Stay Alive: Utah cities push for safer speeds in neighborhoods

There is also a parent course available for purchase. This way, parents can get involved in their children’s driving safety. On the Utah Safety Council website, there is a $5 discount code, making the course only $19.95. The parent course is only two hours long and identifies all the potential risks that teens may face throughout their driving and helps them utilize the necessary skills. Usually the course is taken online, but now there are a few in-person learning locations. This course is great for new drivers learning the roads, but it is also great for reckless drivers that need to improve their habits.

City officials say the Drive 25 Stay Alive initiative is meant to work alongside these courses to create long-term change in driver behavior. Riverton Police Officer Shane Manwaring said the goal is not just slowing cars but building safer communities. “Neighborhood safety starts with something as simple as slowing down,” he said. “Twenty-five miles per hour may seem slow, but it protects the people who live here.”

Police departments throughout the Salt Lake Valley have also voiced support. Officers say residential speeding is one of the most common complaints they receive. Many parents say the initiative helps bring attention to risks they worry about every day. Local resident Kaci Morgan, who has two children who walk to school, said she has already noticed a change in her neighborhood. “I’ve seen more drivers slowing down when they see the signs,” Morgan said. “It makes me feel a little better about letting my kids walk or bike to school.”

According to the National Safety Council, pedestrians hit by a vehicle traveling 25 mph are far more likely to survive than those struck at 35 mph. Lower speeds also reduce stopping distance and give drivers more time to react.

Riverton has encouraged residents to place yard signs near sidewalks and school routes to help remind drivers of the new speed limit. Hundreds of signs were picked up during the first week, and the city said they will continue to offer them while supplies last. Safety officials hope that as more Utah cities join the initiative, reduced speed limits will become part of everyday driving habits. While enforcement matters, leaders say the program depends on community awareness and personal responsibility.

For more information on Alive at 25, the parent course or the Drive 25 Stay Alive program, residents can visit the Utah Safety Council website or contact their local city office.