Colorado State Patrol issuing tickets for going the speed limit during severe weather
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado State Patrol says driving even a few miles per hour above posted speed limits can earn drivers a hefty speeding ticket on major freeways and interstate highways. In more serious conditions, like Saturday's snow storm, even driving the speed limit in conditions that warrant slower speeds can result in a ticket from state troopers.
The crackdown comes after an upswing in traffic accidents related to speeding, some resulting in multiple fatalities.
"As we're patrolling the highways here in the state, we will see trends. Right now, one of the things that is trending in our crashes is people speeding," Master Trooper Gary Cutler said.
Many Colorado drivers likely believe they can go 5-7 mph over the speed limit and avoid seeing police lights in their rearview mirror. However, Cutler says, state troopers aren't giving that kind of lenience moving forward.
"There's always this thing of people saying, I can go five, seven, ten over and it's fine, but it isn't," Cutler said. "These highway speed signs are placed there for several reasons."
Cutler said they'll be increasing the amount of patrols on highways, scanning speeds as they do so, conducting major aircraft operations to monitor speeding.
He added that during dangerous weather patterns, Colorado drivers should go below the speed limit to avoid getting ticketed.
"Your time that you need to slow down and stop is increased because of the weather," Cutler said. "Whether it's wet roads, or snow roads or icy roads, they need to be careful because when we talk about speeding, we do have a citation for going too fast for the conditions of the road."
