March 14, 2023 by Laurie Montoya – President and Founder BikerDown Foundation
Today is a great day for Colorado riders and driver. On March 10th, Colorado State Highway Patrol launched a day of a statewide effort to crack down on distracted drivers, more than 80 citations were issued to Colorado Springs drivers. Texting and Driving remains one of the top 5 forms of distracted driving
On March 10, Colorado State Patrol partnered with local law enforcement agencies to participate in a “strict enforcement effort to put an end to distracted driving.”
According to CSP, there were 159 contacts in the Colorado Springs area. Of those 159 contacts, there were 82 citations issued Friday. Ten of these were aggressive/distracted driving, and two were DUIs.
Friday’s operation came just days after a 12-year-old died in an El Paso County crash reportedly caused by a distracted driver.
According to Colorado State Highway Patrol, 2022 had the most traffic fatalities since 1981 with 754 deaths. CSP said many of the crashes were caused by distractions.
CSP is sharing the following tips to help drivers do their part to avoid a tragic crash:
- Pay close attention to speed limits. In poor weather, never drive beyond your vehicle’s capabilities.
- Put the distractions aside and put your cell phone out of reach. If it is important pull off the road or have a passenger navigate the messages.
- Open snacks before you start driving, and eat messy meals elsewhere.
- If you see dangerous driving by another motorist, slow down and keep them safely in front of you, CSP said this is a good time to pull over and call *277.
- Make sure everyone in your vehicle is properly buckled up and never drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.
CSP is reminding drivers about their yearlong campaign called “Stay in Your Lane,” a campaign to remind drivers to control their lane position based on current driving conditions and to bring attention to the most common and avoidable behaviors that contribute to lane violations.
