Angry Driving? It May Cost You Big $$$ In Utah!

Utah already has the toughest drunk driving rules in the nation -- .05 and you are legally drunk in the Beehive State.

Now, Utah legislators have enacted the toughest "Road Rage" law in the nation.

A new Utah law enacted and in effect as of July 1, House Bill 30, stiffens the penalties of “Road Rage” incidents to a much higher degree.

Drivers who are found guilty of endangering persons in another vehicle could face a minimum of $750 up to a $1,000 in fines, jail time and have their car impounded and drivers license revoked.

According to the statute, Road Rage means:

• The commission of one or more moving traffic offenses with the intent to endanger or intimidate another individual

OR

• An assault with a motor vehicle or dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of a motor vehicle precipitated by an incident on a roadway.

The law, drawn up by the Utah legislature's Transportation Committee (Rep. Cutler, Rep. Pierucci  and Sen. Weiler) also adds enhancements to other offenses.

Enhancement approach

• • A one-level enhancement for an individual who commits any crime in furtherance of road rage
• Potential mandatory minimum sentences
• Would increase any level of offense up to the F2 or F3 level
• A speeding or disorderly conduct infraction could be a C with a higher fine to better address most micro-violations of road rage that don’t end in felony conduct
• Would enhance mid-level violations that might currently be charged as “Brandishing a Weapon” or “Assault”

So what are we to glean from this new law?

Are we Utahns more susceptible to Road Rage, and therefore need the law and enhancements?

Or are we as Utahns just less tolerant of this despicable behavior?

Given that we've had a half-dozen high-profile Road Rage incidents in the past year (a man was killed in his driveway in Lehi earlier this summer), I'd say the former is more accurate.

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