NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO STATE PATROL
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Over the past three years fatal and injury crashes have significantly increased across Colorado and the US. In 2022, Colorado lost 745 lives to traffic fatalities, the most roadway deaths in the state since 1981. Many of these crashes are caused by simple distractions. Whether your distraction is a cell phone, a quick bite behind the wheel, or even other passengers, that distraction is not worth a life.
On June 16, 2023, troopers across Colorado, in partnership with local jurisdictions, will be conducting a strict enforcement operation to bring awareness to and curb distracted driving. Some of the indicators troopers will be looking for are lane violations, speeding, and careless and reckless driving behaviors.
Furthermore, troopers will focus on those highways that see tremendous volume during the summer months, giving us maximum visibility. Motorists could travel across the state and see troopers throughout the entire adventure. The highways that we will be focusing on are Highway 34, Highway 40, Highway 50, Highway 160, Highway 287, I-70, and I-25.
A few tips to avoid meeting one of our troopers under less-than-ideal conditions are:
- Pay close attention to speed limits. Speed limits are set for safety.
- Put the distractions aside.
- Place that cell phone out of reach and if it is that important, pull off at the next gas station or exit ramp. Please give it to your passengers and let them navigate those messages.
- Open those snacks before you start driving and eat those messy meals somewhere other than behind the wheel.
- Set your navigation and pick your music or other passenger entertainment before you begin your drive.
- If you see dangerous or aggressive driving actions by another motorist, slow down and keep them safely in front of you. You can also pull over and call *CSP with a vehicle description and license plate. Let one of our troopers handle that dangerous issue.
- Finally, ensure everybody in your vehicle is properly buckled up and NEVER drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Troopers continue to take a low-tolerance approach to lane violations while launching a yearlong campaign called “Stay in Your Lane.” This campaign reminds people to control their lane position based on their current driving environment. This campaign also aims to bring attention to three of the most common and avoidable behaviors contributing to lane violations – driving aggressively, driving distracted or driving while impaired.
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