By Shannon Lukens. (Courtesy photos)

 

There were 684 traffic deaths on Colorado roads last year.

 

Most fatalities were in the months of July (79), September (84) and October (77).

 

While the number of deaths was down 5% from 2023, the number of motorcycle deaths and construction zone deaths increased significantly. Also, CDOT says a third of fatalities involved an impaired driver. And 183 people died who weren’t buckled up.

Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol are working on a new program to reduce speeding in construction zones, new ways to better protect pedestrians and cyclists, better enforcement programs aimed at impaired drivers, efforts to improve motorcycle safety, and more.

There was a press conference Tuesday in Denver to discuss the options. Skyler McKinley was one of the speakers. He is the regional director for public affairs for AAA.

Skyler McKinley

“Fundamentally, too many folks are dying on Colorado’s roadways. When you choose to text and drive and you strike someone, you’ve made that choice. That wasn’t an accident. That was a crash that you caused. When you choose to drive impaired, you’ve made a selfish choice. When you speed, you’ve made a selfish choice that takes others lives and health from them. So I think the conversation today is Colorado is moving in a better direction but we all as individuals need to make better choices to look out for one another or someday it might be us who is a victim of a traffic crash.”

(The full press release is below.)

 

Colorado State patrol has also sent out its list of top counties for speed violations. The Northwest Colorado counties did not make that list of people getting tickets for speeding in 2024.

The top five counties to receive speeding citations by Colorado State Troopers last year were:

1. El Paso (2,161)
2. Douglas (862)
3. Jefferson (831)
4. Fremont (727)
5. Mesa (684)

UPDATE on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Colorado State Patrol issued citations for speed in 2024:

• Grand County speeding citations issued 493
• Jackson County speeding citations issued 10
• Moffat County speeding citations issued 185
• Rio Blanco County speeding citations issued 82
• Routt County speeding citations issued 557

 

For the past four years, El Paso, Douglas and Jefferson counties have remained in the top five counties for speeding citations. This is the third consecutive time in four years that Fremont County has entered the top five, and this is the first time in four years for Mesa County.

“The temptation to speed may be all around you, but you won’t get out of a ticket if you violate the law and get pulled over,“ stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Our goal isn’t to go out and ticket everyone; we want drivers to do the right thing and drive like a trooper is a passenger in their vehicle. Citations are meant to correct poor driving choices, and you are literally in the driver’s seat to determine the likelihood of a traffic stop.”

CSP reports the top five roadways in 2024 for speeding charges were:

1. I70
2. I25
3. H50
4. H24
5. H285

 

Press Release from Colorado Department of Transportation; Jan. 28, 2025.

State agencies announce plans to address traffic safety in 2025

Speed, motorcycles and construction zones are priorities 

Statewide — Today, the Colorado Department of Transportation released preliminary data showing a 5% decrease in traffic fatalities on Colorado roadways in 2024 compared to 2023. While recent data is promising, CDOT emphasizes that even one life lost is too many and reaffirms its commitment to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on the state’s roads.

The 2024 Colorado traffic death data includes (data is preliminary. A dashboard with all Colorado traffic fatality data can be found here):

• All traffic deaths – 684 (decrease of 5% from 2023)
• Passenger vehicle deaths – 371 (decrease of 10% from 2023)
• Motorcycle deaths – 162 (increase of 23% over 2023)
• Impaired driving deaths – 210 (decrease of 7% from 2023)
• Unbuckled seat belt deaths – 183 (decrease of 15% from 2023)
• Pedestrian deaths – 120 (decrease of 12% from 2023)
• Bicycle deaths – 14 (decrease of 30% from 2023)
• Construction zone deaths – 31 (increase of 94% over 2023)

To address traffic safety in construction zones, CDOT will launch a Speed Safety Camera Program to reduce crashes involving excessive speed. As part of the Revised Statue, Speed Safety Cameras will be installed to increase safety for law enforcement officers and CDOT maintenance crews, help reduce congestion that may result from traffic stops, and more. Speed Safety Cameras are estimated to reduce fatalities and injuries by 20 to 37%.

September was the worst month of 2024 for traffic deaths with 84 people killed in a single month.

 

Caption: Data graph of Traffic Fatalities by Month in 2024. Number of fatalities: January: 38; February: 43; March: 51; April: 46; May: 65; June: 62; July: 79; August: 62; September: 84; October: 77; November: 33; December: 44. Data reported as of Jan. 27, 2025. Source: Colorado Traffic Fatalities Dashboard. Graph linked here for download.

“While it’s promising to see a reduction in fatalities on our roadways these last two years, we continue to see careless and reckless driving behaviors on our roadways. It takes all of us to make Colorado a safe place for motorists and pedestrians to travel,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Don’t put others at risk. Think about the convenience your license affords you every day. It’s worth driving sober, putting down distractions, and driving the speed limit. If you fail to make these choices, Colorado law enforcement remains dedicated to removing impaired drivers from our roads and issuing citations to drivers who are speeding, using a cell phone, or otherwise being unsafe.”

Despite improvements, there was an increase among motorcyclists and construction zone deaths last year. In 2024, 162 motorcyclists lost their lives, marking a 23% increase over the previous year and accounting for 24% of all traffic deaths. Deaths in construction zones resulted in 31 lives lost, up from 16 the year before. Additionally, a third (210) of fatalities involved an impaired driver, and there were 183 unrestrained fatalities, half of all passenger vehicle traffic deaths.

In 2024, the highest fatality numbers were in the following counties:

 

• Adams – 84 (increase of 38% over 2023)
• El Paso – 78 (no increase or decrease — consistent with 2023 fatalities)
• Weld – 67 (increase of 20% over 2023)
• Denver – 61 (decrease of 21% from 2023)
• Arapahoe – 55 (decrease of 19% from 2023)
• Jefferson – 54 (increase of 13% over 2023)
• Larimer – 35 (decrease of 19% from 2023)

 

The cities with the highest fatalities last year were:

 

• Denver – 61 (decrease of 21% from 2023)
• Colorado Springs – 47 (decrease of 2% from 2023)
• Aurora – 45 (decrease of 29% from 2023)
• Pueblo – 21 (decrease of 9% from 2023)
• Lakewood – 21 (increase of 5% over 2023)
• Thornton – 18 (increase of 157% over 2023)
• Fort Collins – 14 (increase of 8% over 2023)
• Greeley – 14 (increase of 27% over 2023)

In an effort to protect motorists in Colorado, CDOT and CSP have set the goal of reducing the number of traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 22.5% by fiscal year 2027, compared to the same month in fiscal year 2023. Strategies to accomplish this goal encompass Safe Roads, Safe People, Safe Driving, Safety Culture and Post Crash Care. Additionally, CDOT plans efforts this year to improve motorcycle safety by encouraging helmet use, support enforcement programs aimed at impaired drivers and establish speed limits that ensure the safety of all road users.

“Having the ability to safely walk, bike, or drive in their communities and throughout the state impacts Coloradans’ health, education, and economic well-being,” said Ned Calonge, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment chief medical officer. “Safe roads and highways allow Coloradans to travel to work, meet with friends, walk to parks, get their kids to school, or simply go to the store for groceries.”

In 2024, CDOT launched a new awareness campaign called Shift into Safe, which raises awareness about seat belt safety, distracted driving, child passenger safety and more.

“Colorado has some of the most robust, straightforward Slow Down, Move Over laws in the country – and still law enforcement officers, emergency roadside technicians, CDOT crews, and all the folks who keep Colorado moving face extreme peril at the roadside every, single day,” said Skyler McKinley, Regional Director of Public Affairs for AAA. “Let’s make 2025 the year without tragic headlines about our highway heroes: slow down, move over, put the phone away, and look out for the people who always look out for you.”

New 2025 laws aimed at reducing crashes in the state include the Colorado Hands-Free Law which prohibits the use of hand-held phones while driving, though hands-free accessories are permitted. Penalties for violating the law start at $75. In addition, Colorado’s child restraint system law has been updated for 2025. The changes include booster seat use until 9 years old; rear-facing car seat use until 2 years old and under 40 pounds; and mandatory seat belt use until 18 years old. More information on the Colorado Child Passenger Safety Laws can be found at CarSeatsColorado.com.

Finally, enforcement of weaving in and out of Express Lanes is being expanded in 2025. Drivers who enter and exit Express Lanes outside of designated areas in the following corridors will face $75 fines or more on the following roadways: Central 70 (between I-25 and Chambers Road); I-25 South Gap (between Larkspur and Monument); and US 36 corridors.

Crash Not Accident

Note to reporters: Crashes are no accident — they are preventable. We would appreciate you saying ‘crash’ instead of ‘accident’ when reporting.

About CDOT

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s mission is to provide the best multi-modal transportation system that most effectively and safely moves people, goods and information. CDOT maintains more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,400 bridges and 35 mountain passes. Our team of employees works tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. CDOT leverages partnerships with a range of private and public organizations and operates Bustang, an interregional express bus service. Find more details at codot.gov.

 

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