Colorado Distracted Driving Accidents Increased About 16% Over the Past 4 Years, CDOT Reports

Since 2012, distracted driving crashes in Colorado have been steadily increasing each year, jumping up about 16 percent over the four-year period. This is according to authorities at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), who have also reported that fatal distracted driving accidents spiked nearly 17 percent from 2014 to 2015.

These findings have reportedly led authorities to declare that “distracted driving [is] a significant threat to traffic safety in Colorado.”

Clarifying this concern and authorities focus on combatting it, CDOT’s Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk has explained that:

In a recent CDOT survey, 25 percent of Colorado drivers admitted to using their cell phones for messaging, 38 percent talked on a hand-held cell phones, 63 percent used entertainment devices and 41 percent had eaten while driving in the previous week… It’s clear distracted driving poses a threat to anyone on Colorado roadways, and it’s an issue that CDOT will attack head on this summer through our Drop the Distraction campaign.

Similarly, Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), has noted that:

We know we can save lives by reducing the number of impaired drivers on the road and increasing seat belt usage, which is the reason for our DUI and seat belt enforcement periods… Distracted driving is a more recent, but equally dangerous driving habit, and one that we hope to impact through our next enforcement period.

CDOT’s Distracted Driving Statistics Reveal Scope of the Problem

When announcing authorities’ plans to crackdown on distracted drivers over the coming months, CDOT shared the following statistics, which represent some of the latest findings about the scope of the distracted driving problem in Colorado:

• In 2015 in Colorado, distracted driving crashes reached a new peak, skyrocketing up to more than 15,300 accidents. The number of these wrecks in prior years were as follows:
  • 2014: 14,753
  • 2013: 14,002
  • 2012: 13,236
• Over the past four years, there has been a total of 57,300 distracted driving accidents in Colorado.
• When analyzing the distracted driving data for the entire four-year period, it was revealed that:
  • Motorists younger than 30 are most often involved distracted driving crashes, with these drivers being involved in nearly 1 in every 3 of these accidents over the last four years.
  • Drivers between 31 and 40 represented the next largest group of distracted drivers, as they were reportedly involved in about 18 percent of these crashes over the last four years.
  • The single most common distraction for motorists is cellphone use. The second most common distraction is other passengers within the vehicle.
  • At least half of all of the distracted driving crashes in Colorado over the past four years occurred in one of the following regions: Denver County, Jefferson County, Adams County or Arapahoe County.

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After a Crash, Contact Englewood Attorney D.J. Banovitz

If you have been hurt in a distracted driving accident – or in any type of traffic collision, contact Englewood Attorney D.J. Banovitz for honest answers about your options for compensation and justice.

Trusted by clients and well regarded by peers, Attorney D.J. Banovitz has the experience, insight and skills you can count on for effective legal advocacy and the best possible outcome to your case.

To discuss your potential case and options for justice, contact Attorney D.J. Banovitz by calling (303) 300-5060 or by sending our firm an email via the contact form on this page.

From offices based in Englewood, Colorado, Attorney D.J. Banovitz provides the highest quality representation to injured people throughout Arapahoe County, Denver County, Douglas County and the state of Colorado.