El Paso County leads Colorado in motorcyclist fatalities
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recorded Colorado's 100th motorcycle fatality, up 12% from when compared to this time last year when there were 89 fatalities.
El Paso County is leading the state with the most motorcycle deaths, with 17 fatalities. Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Manager with the Colorado Department of Transportation remarks on El Paso County's high fatalities, saying, "That leads me to believe that there's something going on in El Paso County that’s unique to El Paso County."
Cole points to the possibility of Colorado Springs being a college town with military bases as a potential factor. He adds, "A lot of young men, who are prone to taking risks, who own motorcycles may be out on our roadways riding carelessly and speeding."
Since numbers are up compared to last year, CDOT is urging drivers to watch for motorcyclists on the roads.
According to CDOT, from 2012 to 2018, motorcyclist fatalities increased by 30%. In 2018, motorcyclist fatalities were nearly 16% of all traffic fatalities in Colorado, despite the fact that motorcycles represent just 3% of the vehicles on our roads.
