Over the past three years fatal and injury crashes have significantly increased across Colorado and throughout 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 being caused by simple distractions. Whether your distraction is a cell phone, a tasty bite to eat or even other passengers; that distraction is definitely not worth a life.

On March 10, troopers across Colorado, in partnerships with local jurisdictions, will be conducting a strict enforcement operation to bring awareness to and put an end to distracted driving. Some of the indicators Troopers will be looking for are lane violations, speeding, and careless and reckless driving behaviors.

Furthermore, troopers will be focusing attention on those highways that cross troop boundaries, giving us the maximum amount of visibility. Motorists could literally 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, and more importantly, do your part to avoid a tragic crash are:

  • Pay close attention to speed limits and please obey them. In poor weather, never drive beyond your vehicle’s capabilities… slow down.
  • 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. Better yet, 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.
  • If you see dangerous driving actions by another motorist, slow down and keep them safely in front of you. This is a good opportunity to pull over and call *277. Let one of our troopers handle that dangerous issue. Be sure to get a good location, direction of travel, description of the vehicle and plate information if possible.
  • Finally, make sure 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 is designed to remind 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 that contribute to lane violations – driving aggressively, driving distracted or driving while impaired.

Troopers continue to have zero tolerance for impaired drivers and unrestrained drivers and children. Buckle up and please don’t drink or use drugs and drive.