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Utah Senate rejects bill to expand use of unmarked highway patrol vehicles after safety debate
Summary
The Senate debated and rejected House Bill 87, which would have allowed limited use of existing unmarked vehicles for traffic projects. Opponents warned of safety risks to motorists stopped by unmarked cars; supporters said the measure offered targeted flexibility in congested areas.
Senators voted down House Bill 87, which would have allowed the commissioner of public safety to deploy additional unmarked vehicles from existing fleets for specified traffic-safety projects, after an extended floor debate about risks, oversight and the scope of the change.
Senator Peter Knudson, sponsor, told the chamber the measure was a narrowly targeted safety tool, citing the Arrive Alive project on I‑15 in which use of unmarked vehicles helped reduce crashes after about 1,800 stops during a demonstration week. "We're not asking for additional vehicles," Knudson said, arguing the vehicles would be borrowed from existing departmental fleets and used only in special circumstances.
Opponents pressed safety concerns. Senator Hickman warned that an unmarked vehicle stopping a lone motorist on a highway could create a scenario where the motorist does not recognize the car as legitimate and may react unpredictably. "If you have an unmarked vehicle who stops someone on the highway ... you run some risks," Hickman said, asking senators to be "careful about this." Senator Spencer urged study, saying the bill could undo a prior compromise that narrowly limited unmarked vehicle use.
Senator Bramble, who said he had consulted members of the highway patrol and the director of public safety, said the bill was intended to provide flexibility in congested areas for operations to address road rage and other behaviors not as effectively prevented by marked patrol cars alone.
After debate and a roll-call vote, the Senate recorded 14 ayes and 15 nays; the motion failed and House Bill 87 did not pass.
The failure leaves current limits on unmarked vehicle use unchanged. Sponsors and opponents both indicated they expect to continue monitoring the highway patrol’s operations and said future legislation or revisions could be proposed if misuse or demonstrated need emerges.
