Utah’s new road rage bill goes into effect July 1

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — You may want to start thinking twice before you let your road rage get the better of you. Starting today, road rage will start carrying harsher penalties in the Beehive State.

H.B. 30 , otherwise known as the “Road Rage Amendments” bill, is one of many bills passed by the Utah Legislature that goes into effect beginning Monday, July 1.

The bill was chiefly sponsored by Rep. Paul Cutler and Sen. Todd Weiler. It passed through both the state’s House and Senate with resounding approval before being signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on March 8.

It intends to dissuade drivers from being aggressive on Utah’s roads by increasing the fines on citations, giving law enforcement the power to impound vehicles suspected of being in a road rage incident, and allows the court the suspend driver’s licenses for road rage offenses.

According to data from the Utah Department of Transportation , there were 27 deaths related to aggressive driving in 2023. So far in 2024, there have been three deaths attributed to road rage.

Aside from dissuading drivers from being aggressive through harsher penalties, H.B. 30 also puts funds toward a road rage education program.

Getting the word out about road rage and staying calm is a goal in the Beehive State for 2024. Zero Fatalities recently launched its road rage awareness campaign , advising Utah drivers on how they can stay calm and behaviors to avoid while driving.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.