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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is seeing a troubling rise in road rage and aggressive driving cases as the state nears the halfway point of the year. On Monday alone, five people were arrested in connection with three separate road rage cases, two of which occurred in Salt Lake City. One of those cases took place near 100 S. and 600 W., where police said a man and his girlfriend intentionally rammed their vehicle into another woman’s car. Jason Mettman with the Utah Highway Safety Office expressed deep concern over the growing trend. "It's shocking. We are alarmed by the amount of road rage incidents and aggressive driving incidents that we see here in Utah,” Mettmann said. According to Mettmann, Utah has already recorded 577 road rage-related crashes in 2025 — eight of them fatal. That number is on track to surpass last year’s total of 717 crashes. “We’re only halfway through 2025, and we’re at over 575 crashes. It’s just unacceptable,” Mettmann said. "Aggressive driving and reckless driving is a choice that you make out on the road. You make that choice behind the wheel to either drive calm or escalate a situation." He emphasized that these incidents are entirely preventable and urged drivers to remain calm and avoid escalating confrontations. “If you escalate, it can only get worse. Increasing speed, increasing tension, increasing your own stress in that moment is going to reduce your ability to have a safe outcome,” he said.
What to do if you’re targeted
If you find yourself being followed or harassed by another driver:
- do not engage or escalate,
- call 911, and
- drive to a police station or a public place.
Related: Road rage incident sees upgraded charges nearly two years after tragedy
