Colorado State Patrol offers tips for fall driving on mountain roads

COLORADO (KRDO) -- With a warm fall thus far, Colorado's peak fall colors are showing up a little later this year.

The colors may have passed their peak in the northern mountains, but the southern/southwestern mountains are some of the best places to see fall colors before winter rolls in. According to Colorado State Patrol (CSP), these colors can also bring in an increased volume of out-of-state visitors who may not be familiar with mountain roadways and towing mountain conditions.

CSP said when looking at 2022 crash data through the end of September for just the southwest region of the state, 46 fatal crashes have been investigated by CSP in that area with the vast majority stemming from two causes: impaired driving and lane violations (drivers traveling out of their designated lane whether by switching lanes in a dangerous manner or driving while crossing over the center or side lane lanes).

As a resource for fall visitors, CSP has updated their Super Cruising in Colorado web resource to help prepare visitors on the scenic byways and mountainous roadways throughout the area. 

CSP said that in addition to videos of some popular leaf-peeping routes, visitors to the website can also find information on how to navigate various mountain conditions like steep turns and blind corners while also being linked to local weather information and how to properly load a trailer to avoid swaying.