Proposed Utah Bill Seeks Tougher Punishment For Reckless Drivers

Reckless driving in Utah could get more expensive if a new bill makes it through the Utah legislature.

House Bill 30, sponsored by Representative Paul Cutler, would see aggressive drivers, also known as road ragers, receive greater punishment for their crimes.

The increased punishment would include a $500 increase for traffic tickets issued by authorities for aggressive/reckless driving.

The current price you’d have to pay if you were issued a ticket for this type of behavior in Utah is up to $1,000 in fines. If House Bill 30 is given the go-ahead, that price would increase to about $1,500.

Utah fatality data for 2023 showed 23 people in Utah died because of reckless driving, and another 91 people died from speeding-related accidents.

If you’d like to learn more about the Utah fatality data for 2023, check out Derick Fox’s article on the ABC 4 website.

The extra $500 from traffic tickets would be donated to a program from the Department of Public Safety focused on teaching young adults about the consequences of road rage.

Along with the proposed bill, The Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah Department of Transportation will launch a campaign later this year to bring awareness to reckless driving in the beehive state.

House Bill 30 is among several other potential bills being passed through the Utah legislature in 2024. Some bills have already been signed into law like the controversial “trans bathroom bill” and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion restructuring bill for Utah’s public universities.

We’ll provide more updates as the legislature continues to touch on multiple issues throughout the state.

If you’d like to learn more about House Bill 30, check out Jonathan May’s article on the ABC 4 website.