The new law to crack down on traffic violence will result in drivers’ vehicles being towed and could even turn penalties into crimes

DRIVERS in one state will face harsher penalties if they are found to have broken a new law combating road rage.

Earlier this year, senators passed HB 30, a new bill introduced by Republican Senator Todd Weiler to address a rise in road rage incidents in Utah.

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The new law that comes into force on July 1st will not only affect drivers, but also passengers.

This comes after the Beehive State saw a 32% increase since 2020 in the number of emergency dispatchers reporting road rage incidents, according to data from the Utah Highway Patrol.

Numbers from the department’s six main dispatch centers show an increase in reported road rage incidents, from 565 in 2020 to 747 in 2023.

“There were some really major incidents that came to light last summer that really caught everyone’s attention that this is just something that we need to start addressing specifically,” Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich told the Utah Highway Patrol affiliate. Fox News. KSTU earlier this year.

With just days until the new law is enacted, Lt. Cameron Roden of the Utah Highway Patrol broke down what it means for road users and law enforcement officers.

Not only will it establish a specific definition for traffic violence, but HB 30 will also give officers and courts more powers to deal with repeat and serious offenders.

The new legislature defines a road rage event as “the commission of a crime: by an operator or passenger of a vehicle; in response to an incident occurring or escalating on a road; and with the intent to endanger or intimidate an individual in another vehicle,”

“It could be behaviors intended to intimidate other drivers,” said Lt. Roden KPCW.

“So we’re just trying to get people to realize that these events can escalate and turn into really serious events like we’ve seen lately.

“We’ve seen a lot of them that went from just a basic driving error and turned into something that could have been avoided.”

The Lieutenant explained that the new law does not criminalize any new behaviors, such as unauthorized use, extreme speeds and dismemberment of people.

However, “it gives police officers the ability to increase sentences,” he said.

“So anything above Class B, if you have some type of violation that’s Class B, if you put the road rage enhancement that goes up a step, then it would go to Class A, and Class A could go for a third-degree crime”, explained the highway police officer.

However, Class C violations are not included in the bill and will not be subject to enhancements.

These increases could also result in those prosecuted for road rage crimes receiving larger fines and even prison sentences.

It could be an additional $500 or $750 in fines or more jail time for “more serious cases,” Rep. Paul Cutler, the bill’s sponsor, previously explained to KSTU.

He added that the money from the fines will go towards education and road rage prevention.

Additionally, Roden explained that there are increasing penalties for driver’s licenses and vehicles can be impounded.

“For a first offense, if a judge considers the offense to be serious enough, he or she can now order a suspension,” Roden said.

“And if we start to have repeat offenders, there are also more driver’s license sanctions that can be implemented so that we can make sure we’re getting these repeat offenders and really aggressive people off the road.”

When addressing the seizure of vehicles involved in road rage, the officer explained that this would help them “make people realize that these situations have a lot of tragic things that can happen.”

“We want them to really think about what’s going on out there and think twice before they let their emotions get the best of them,” he said.

In the coming weeks, the Utah Highway Patrol will provide more public education about the new law, including its definitions and penalties.