Keeping cool on the road in Utah

A recent Forbes survey found Utah to be ranked the highest in the country in road rage incidents. This finding may come as a shock to some Logan residents, but to others it’s stating the obvious.  

Hayley Carroll, a lifelong Utah resident and USU student said, “That’s fairly accurate. I grew up in Utah. People are just in too much of a hurry. They don’t care what the speed limit is.” 

She compared interacting with drivers in Utah to drivers on her service mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arkansas and Missouri.  

“I felt like people were way more respectful of your road space, and entering and exiting freeways. Overall very courteous of other drivers,” Carroll said. “I’ve been flipped off more times in Utah than I have driving in any other state.” 

Carroll believes another reason Utah’s driving performance is looked upon so poorly by the rest of the country is the widespread speeding. 

“You could go 10 over on the freeway here and you would still get passed all the time,” Carroll said. 

USU Police Captain Kent Harris, a campus officer with 33 years of experience in the force, believes a key cause of road rage is pride. 

 “Everybody thinks that they’re the only ones that know how to drive. We think we drive well,” Harris said. “The reality is much different. Nobody is a perfect driver.” 

Harris mentioned a real danger in reciprocating road rage. 

“You just never know who you’re going to be dealing with,” Harris said. 

Instead of returning anger on the road with hand gestures or honking the horn, Harris recommended putting a hand up in a conciliatory manner, as if to say, “Hey, sorry about that,” or, “My bad.” 

The increase in traffic in many of Utah’s towns may also contribute to the road rage incidents.  

Harris said driving while late is particularly dangerous, and it contributes to the lack of courtesy on the road.  

“Make a quick phone call to wherever you’re going saying, ‘Hey look, I’m running late.’ If you end up in an accident then you’re never going to get there,” Harris said.  

Harris said the key to preventing confrontation while driving is remembering the common goal all drivers have in arriving safely at their destination. 

A common phrase Harris has heard that describes the mentality of many drivers is, “Anybody that drives faster than you is a maniac and anyone that drives slower than you is an idiot.” 

The key to avoiding dangerous confrontations while driving is to lose that mentality. Harris will often ask victims of road rage incidents, “What would have happened if you didn’t honk back?” 

“I can just be patient and drive like everyone else is doing. There’s a reason there’s laws,” Carroll pointed out. 

In the end, all commuters just want to get to their destination. Sometimes a little patience goes a long way.  

-Tanner.Thomsen@usu.edu

Featured photo illustration by Bailey Rigby