180 people cited in first year of Utah’s new road rage law

SALT LAKE CITY — During the first year of Utah’s crackdown on road rage, 180 people received citations. 

The law went into effect on July 1, 2024, ordering Utah’s Department of Public Safety to start tracking road rage incidents, and add enhanced penalties for crimes related to road rage.

Now that there’s a baseline, Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden said they will be able to compare the data in the future, gaining an understanding of whether added education or penalties are making a difference in road rage prevention. 

Although it may seem that road rage cases have become more frequent, police will soon have data to say if they’s true or false. 

“Now from here, we can look back to see ultimately (if we are) getting better (or) are we doing worse, and if we are seeing any type of trends or patterns in this,” Roden explained. “(This is so we) know where we need to focus our attention, and look at messaging, look at education, and look at enforcement.”

Utah specifically examines road rage cases

In addition to the 180 road rage cases recorded over the past 12 months, Roden said in 2025, nearly 600 crashes have been related to aggressive driving. Eight were fatal. 

Comparatively, in the past, Utah has averaged around 700-800 crashes involving aggressive driving. That means Utah is on track to far surpass previous numbers.

Roden clarified that while many states track aggressive driving, Utah is one of the few that look specifically at road rage. He defined road rage as a more targeted aggression toward another person. It could also involve the use of a firearm. 

“We’ve got to keep control of our emotions,” Roden said. “That way it helps everyone get to where they’re going. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. When someone makes a mistake, we’ve got to let that go.”

If you become the target of road rage, Roden suggested creating separation between you and the other car. If that’s not enough, call 911.