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Traffic deaths decline slightly in Colorado but officials announce five-point plan for better results

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The best way to describe the rate of traffic fatalities across the state, is: Better, but still not good.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released 2024 statistics Tuesday, revealing that 684 people died on streets, roads and highways -- a 5% drop from 2023.

"Speeding and impaired driving are the biggest threats to traffic safety," said Sam Cole, CDOT safety manager. "We'll see fewer deaths if we get people to slow down, wear their seat belts, put down their cell phones."

While fatalities declined overall, CDOT said that a third of them were to drivers impaired by drugs, alcohol or other sources; half of deaths were to passengers not wearing seat belts or otherwise unrestrained.

Clara Shelton, a member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), reflected on how careless driving can result in the loss of innocent lives -- as was the case with her college-age brother in 2016.

"A drunk and drugged driver came hurtling at them, way above the speed limit," she recalled. "Another driver had told 911 that he had seen what looked like an explosion. He remained in a coma for the next 73 days. We never heard him speak or laugh again. My family and I recognized the nine-year anniversary just last Sunday."

Shelton joined CDOT, MADD, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and AAA Colorado in Denver to announce a five-point plan aimed at reducing traffic deaths even further.

Highlights of the plan are:

  • A new program to reduce speeding in construction zones
  • New funding and measures to protect pedestrians and cyclists
  • Enforcement programs aimed at impaired drivers
  • Efforts to improve motorcycle safety
  • New technology to alert roadside workers about vehicles entering their lane 

Of the eight categories of traffic fatalities last year, only two increased -- construction zones (94%) and motorcycles (23%).

"That's why we're rolling out a speed enforcement program in construction zones in Colorado this year," Cole explained. "It's automated, so it's going to involve speed safety cameras placed in construction zones as a way to ticket people who are speeding."

He said that several cameras will be installed in unspecified areas this spring.

El Paso County ranked second for traffic deaths (78), which was the same number as in 2023; among cities, Colorado Springs ranked second with 47 (down 2%) and Pueblo was fourth with 21 (down 9%).

Officials hope that the state's new hands-free law (which prohibits the use of hand-held phones while driving); strengthening the state's child restraint law; stronger enforcement of drivers weaving in and out of express lanes; the lane-filtering law for motorcycles; and the Shift into Safe campaign to raise awareness about seat belt safety, distracted driving, child passenger safety and more, will also help prevent crashes that cause serious injuries or deaths.

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Scott Harrison

Scott is a reporter for KRDO. Learn more about Scott here.

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