Arrive Alive: A Plea for Kindness and Vigilance on Utah Roads This Holiday Season

Arrive Alive: A Plea for Kindness and Vigilance on Utah Roads This Holiday Season
Date: November 24, 2025 Location: Bountiful, Utah
As we approach Thanksgiving this week and look toward Christmas, our minds are naturally on family gatherings, holiday shopping, and the warmth of community. But for too many Utah families this year, there will be empty seats at the dinner table.
The aggression, impatience, and sheer recklessness we have witnessed on our roads lately have proven fatal. From the heartbreaking crash in Spanish Fork Canyon to the tragedy near St. George that claimed three lives, the message is written in red lights and sirens: We must do better.
Driving is not a competition; it is a shared responsibility. It is time for Utah drivers to replace aggression with courtesy, and road rage with forgiveness.
The Cost of Aggression: Recent Utah Tragedies
The statistics are not just numbers; they are neighbors. Data from the Utah Department of Public Safety shows that male drivers account for nearly 9 out of 10 road rage fatalities in our state. The "me-first" attitude is literally killing us.
We have seen how quickly a moment of anger or distraction can turn deadly:
The Family Tragedies: We remember the heartbreaking loss in August 2024, where a young 20-year-old mother and her 1-year-old son lost their lives after striking a barrier and tree in Utah County—a stark reminder of how fragile life is.
The Multi-Fatality Wrecks: Just months ago, in September 2025, a wrong-way crash near St. George claimed three lives in an instant.
The Weekend Toll: Just days ago, on November 20, 2025, yet another life was lost in a collision in Ogden.
These events prove that aggressive driving—tailgating, weaving, speeding, and road rage—is a game of Russian roulette where innocent families often pay the price.
Winter is Here: Snow, Rain, and the Need for Vigilance
With the forecast calling for "loads of snow and rain" this holiday season, the margin for error is zero. Utah winters are unforgiving.
Black Ice Doesn't Care About Your Rush: That wet-looking patch on the I-15 overpass is likely ice. Aggressive acceleration or braking will send you into a spin.
Visibility is Key: If you can't see, you can't react. Clear all the snow off your car—not just a porthole on the windshield. Flying snow from your roof blinds the driver behind you and is a sign of disrespect for others' safety.
A Call to Drivers of Large Vehicles
To those driving lifted trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles: Physics is not on your side. Your size and weight make you a deadly weapon in a collision with a sedan. You have a higher center of gravity and a much longer stopping distance.
Slow Down Sooner: Do not wait until the last second to brake.
Respect the Canyons: If you are descending Parleys or Sardine Canyon, use your gears. Riding your brakes causes them to fail.
Don't Bully: Looming in the rearview mirror of a smaller car is not "assertive driving"—it is intimidation, and in slick conditions, it is a threat to life.
The "Zero Fatalities" Mindset: Be Kind, Be Courteous
We all have somewhere to be—a job, a church event, a school drop-off, or a family dinner. No destination is worth dying for, and certainly no destination is worth killing for.
Let’s make a pact for this holiday season:
Forgive the Mistake: If someone cuts you off, let it go. Assume they made an honest error rather than a malicious attack.
Leave Early: Stress is the fuel of road rage. Give yourself 10 extra minutes so you aren't fighting the clock.
Put the Phone Down: You cannot be vigilant if you are looking at a screen.
Yield a Little: Let that car merge. Wave someone in. A small act of kindness lowers the collective blood pressure of the entire highway.
This Thanksgiving and Christmas, let the greatest gift you give your family be your safe arrival. Let's be nicer. Let's be courteous. Let's keep our families whole.
Drive safe, Utah.
By Ryan S Taylor