SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A string of road rage incidents across Utah this spring is drawing renewed attention to a relatively new state law aimed at curbing violent driving behavior — and early data shows one month consistently stands out.

2News analyzed figures from the Utah Highway Patrol on how often troopers have used the state’s road rage enhancement law since it took effect in July 2024. The data, which reflects UHP enforcement only, reveals that March has recorded the highest number of road rage charges in both 2025 and, so far, 2026.

“You know, when things happen, you can’t take them back,” said Peter Salm. “It’s permanent.”

Salm’s brother and his brother’s girlfriend were killed in 2023 when a driver lost control during a road rage incident and hit them head-on. The tragedy helped spur Salm’s push for tougher penalties, which ultimately became law.

“Sadly, there’s still way too many people out there who don’t seem to get the message,” Salm said.

Before the law, UHP said it had no formal way to track road rage incidents.

“It seemed like they were getting more frequent,” said Lt. Cameron Roden, a public information officer with UHP.

Since data collection began, troopers have averaged about 14 road rage cases per month in 2025 where the enhancement law was applied. But March stands apart.

“We had a really high month a year ago March where we had probably the highest month that we saw with 31 incidents,” Roden said. “So maybe a little bit eye-opening for us.”

In March 2026, troopers have recorded 16 incidents so far, again the highest monthly total this year.

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Roden said the reason for the spike is unclear.

“You know a lot of it is kind of speculation at this point looking forward,” he said, suggesting seasonal factors could play a role as more drivers return to the roads after winter.

The law is also giving investigators a clearer picture of whether enforcement efforts are working.

“It’s not something that’s going to go away overnight,” Roden said. “Just because the law is there, we still are experiencing these things.”

Salm echoed that sentiment.

“Sadly, it’s going to probably be a slower process than what I would like to see as well as the highway patrol,” he said.

Additional UHP data on road rage and aggressive driving crashes from 2018 through 2026 shows patterns in where and when incidents occur:

• 53% happen on Interstate 15.
• 46% occur in Salt Lake County.
• 17% take place on Saturdays, the highest of any day; Tuesdays have the fewest.
• 31% result in injury or death.

The data also shows impairment is not a factor in most cases, with only 10% involving an impaired driver. However, among those who were impaired, 35% had a blood alcohol content above .16.

Salm said the numbers underscore a simple message for drivers.

“You need to be careful what you’re doing and just slow down and just let it go,” he said. “You don’t need to act out against somebody who’s cut you off. It doesn’t really solve anything.”

Reflecting on his own loss, he added a final warning:

“You know, when things happen, you can’t take them back. It’s permanent. It’s my brother’s situation. There’s nothing we can do on this planet anymore to bring them back. They’re gone forever. Your best option is to not do it in the first place — just bite your tongue, just let it go and go back home, see your loved ones and blow off some steam and live another day.”

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SALT LAKE CITY — Suazo Business Center traditionally aids members of Utah’s Latino community in honing their business acumen to create and build businesses.

Services have typically been offered in Spanish, though that has been changing, and immigrants have been among the key recipients of assistance as they forge a place in Utah.

A $600,000 grant from KeyBank will help Salt Lake City-based Suazo expand its offerings to serve a larger client base, including, perhaps, the children of some of the original recipients of assistance. KeyBank and Suazo officials gathered Wednesday to formally announce the grant, with some describing the occasion as a milestone for the nonprofit organization.

“I’m passionate that what we do here at the Suazo Center matters,” said Howard Headlee, a member of the Suazo Business Center board of directors and president of the Utah Bankers Association. “People pursue their dreams here, and your donation today is going to play a big role in a lot of dreams in this community.”

Drew Yergenson, Utah market president for KeyBank, said the grant is about fomenting growth in the state. The grant from the KeyBank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the bank, is the largest single donation KeyBank in Utah has provided in its 15 years of business, he said.

“As we try to think about helping Utah grow, you’ve got to serve communities that need help. I think the Latino community is a large part of our local economy. We want to see them grow,” Yergenson said.

He stressed Suazo’s role since its founding in 2002 in helping some 10,000 clients launch around 5,000 new businesses.

“That means more families building stability, more small businesses strengthening our local economy and more people achieving sustainable employment,” he said.

KeyBank officials believe opportunity “should be accessible, not limited by language, schedule, transportation or geography, and that’s why this partnership is so special to us. It reflects our commitment to investing in education, workforce development, stronger communities,” Yergenson said.

The funds will be provided to Suazo in $200,000 increments over three years. Lorena Riffo-Jenson, chairman of the Suazo board, said the money will be used, in part, to expand online offerings to serve those who aren’t able to travel to the organization’s offices for classes and training.

The funding “will help us reach more people at different times,” she said.

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The organization has traditionally offered courses in Spanish to its largely Hispanic clientele; now it hopes to expand its English-language offerings, in part, to serve those from immigrant families who were born in the United States.

“We have started to do a little bit in English. This will allow us to fully expand everything. So we will be fully bilingual in all of our services,” said Silva Castro Bennett, president and CEO of Suazo.

SANDY, Utah — Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez scored one minute apart late in the second half, and Dayne St. Clair earned his second clean sheet of the season as Inter Miami beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Soccer legend Lionel Messi played the entire 90(+7) minutes of the game in his Utah debut, but failed to score despite late opportunities.

Miami (5-1-3) is unbeaten in its last eight regular-season games to sit in second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Salt Lake (5-1-2) had a six-game unbeaten run come to an end. RSL had secured multi-goal wins in its previous two games.

De Paul took a short corner from Telasco Segovia and curled a shot into the upper-right corner of the goal in the 82nd minute.

Suárez, who entered in the 75th, volleyed a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Rafael Cabral for his second goal of the season.

The only other meeting between the teams resulted in a 2-0 victory for Miami at home in the 2024 season opener.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer