Last year was the second-deadliest on record for Colorado pedestrians and bicyclists after 134 were killed in crashes, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Colorado have increased 78% since 2015, while passenger vehicle deaths increased only 7% during that time, according to a state patrol news release.
“We all share the road, and that means we share the responsibility to follow the rules,” Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, stated in the release. “Traffic laws are designed for everyone’s safety. Don’t assume that other roadway users see you, just because you see them.”
Packard’s warning comes after three pedestrians were killed in Denver crashes, including two hit-and-runs, and a bicyclist was fatally struck in Boulder — all within eight hours of each other last week.
“Sunday’s pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities were preventable and should be a wake-up call for all of us,” Packard stated in the release.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run crashes in Denver is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
Anyone with information about the Boulder bicycle crash is asked to contact state patrol investigators at 303-239-4501 and reference case number 1D251939.
Colorado is bracing for more crashes as it enters the annual 100 deadliest days of summer on Monday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is marked by an increase in fatal and injury crashes, particularly those involving teen drivers, according to CDOT. Teen crash rates are roughly 20% higher during that time than the rest of the year.
Fatal crashes involving young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 rose 4.2% nationally between 2022 and 2023, even though fatal crashes decreased 4.3% overall, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Many crashes between Memorial Day and Labor Day, regardless of age, involved impaired drivers, CDOT officials said in a news release.
Of the 354 fatal crashes between the two holidays last year, nearly a third of them involved impaired drivers, according to CDOT data.
State patrol troopers will be increasing their presence and DUI enforcement over Memorial Day weekend, CDOT officials said. Colorado law enforcement made 718 DUI arrests during last year’s Memorial Day Weekend enforcement period.
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