Last November we reported on proposed legislation in Utah that could see road-ragers’ cars taken away from them. That legislation has gone from proposed to passed, and is now headed to the governor. Many RVtravel.com readers commented on the story, some concerned that rights were at stake. But in Utah, road rage isn’t just flipping the bird, if you will.
Utah road rage: 25 deaths per year
To recap the background of the bill: Statistics from the Bee Hive state show that in just the last four years, an average of 25 people died each year from āaggressive drivingā incidents. That was up from 14 per year for the prior six years.
This led to the proposal of the new law which could mean jail time for offenders, and a potential license suspension. Police would have the option to seize and take possession of a vehicle without a warrant when there is probable cause to believe the vehicle was involved in a road rage event.
Just what is “road rage”?
But just what is “road rage”? āWeāre not talking about someone flipping someone off,ā says Republican Senator Todd Weiler. āWeāre talking about a criminal offense, and youāre trying to endanger or intimidate another individual.ā Weiler was one of the billās sponsors. The working definition of “road rage” is āa criminal action by an operator of a vehicle in response to an incident that occurs or escalates upon a roadway, with the intent to endanger or intimidate an individual in another vehicle.ā
Apparently, the idea was a strong one in the minds of Utahās lawmakers. The bill passed the Senate 23 to 5. The House passed it handily on a 51 to 17 vote. Itās now up to the governor to decide whether or not to “make it so.” No word on his thoughts on the matter.
Perhaps lawmakers were influenced in their votes by a string of Utah road rage incidents last December. In just 24 hours, three road ragers made the news, all of them involving firearms. One man brake-checked a semi, caused a wreck, and waved a gun. That same day another irate driver waved a weapon at a motorcyclist and tried to run the cyclist off the road. The next morning, a driver reported being shot at by a driver who cut them off in a road rage incident.
Utah road rage: Not the worst in the country
Interestingly, Utah is not among the 10 worst states when ranked for āmost confrontational drivers.ā It ranks at Number 21. Here are the Top 10, according to a Forbes Advisor study.
- Arizona
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- Virginia
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Texas
- Ohio
##RVT1147b
Sounds like a sensible move to me.
I do not understand why so many folks get wrapped around the axle over a middle finger? Most everybody has one, just like another part of their anatomy.
Maybe it’s because some of us take it the way the “user” intends, i.e., as a rude and offensive expression. Which reminds me of something that happened to my sister years ago. Someone flipped her off in traffic one time. She decided to respond “in kind”; however, her hand signal inadvertently turned out to be a peace sign.āļø I thought that was a good response. Maybe if more people would respond “peacefully” to situations (when there’s an option) there would be less escalation to further hostility. Have a good evening/night, Split. š –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you, Russ and Tina! š That is quite a response to a nationally epidemic problem. Perhaps the specter of losing ones vehicle will tangibly reduce the incidences. I have not driven in Alabama much over the last 35 years, but have driven much in northern Virginia over that same period. Clearly there is a lot of bad driving behavior in and around DC’s beltway. I wonder how many states are watching Utah and possibly following suit, if their actions produce the desired result? I hope that it is successful. I guess we’ll see. Safe travels! š
I am apprehensive of any law that allows arbitrary confiscation. Look at how it is already abused by law enforcement agencies! There is no penalty for wrongful confiscation; you’re just out of luck!
There is a ‘working definition’ of road rage. That means that the police can bring the charge using whatever judgment they choose (and they may just be pressured by their departmental finances), and confiscate your car/RV/whatever without even getting a conviction!
Another good reason to have a dash camera.
Extreme speeding is part of this issue. It leaves less time to react and many times these folks are weaving in and out of traffic dangerously and seem to think everyone must get out of their way.
I have especially noted this more and more in construction zones where highway workers lives are at stake. Even “professional” semi drivers exceeding posted limits by 20+ mph!
All for what? Maybe getting there minutes earlier or maybe killing someone. Most certainly driving insurance costs up for all of us.
One problem with road rage incidents is it can become a double edged sword quickly. Someone flips you off. Then you retaliate by doing the same thing or just accelerate the issue by pulling beside them and provoking a confrontation. It then becomes a cat and mouse situation. In the end there is no winner. Best to back off or just exit and avoid the problem.