Traffic crashes claimed the lives of 745 people last year, the most roadway deaths in Colorado since 1981, said transportation officials, who also lamented that fatalities caused by impaired driving also went up.

The traffic fatalities represent a 57% increase from 10 years ago, transportation officials said, noting the deaths include a record number of pedestrians and motorcyclists.

And the sharp rise in fatalities isn’t correlated to Colorado’s population boom, officials said.  

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“I wish we could correlate the increase in fatalities to Colorado’s population growth. But that’s not the case,” Keith Stefanik, chief engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said. “After falling for 30 years, the rate of crashes has steadily risen during the last decade.”

Stefanik added that, for every fatality, crashes also caused five serious injuries.

Of roughly 750 people killed last year, 36% were outside the vehicle — pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists. Officials said the number of motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities is the most on record since 1975.

“These injuries can leave a devastating lifelong toll on individuals and their families,” he said.

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The Colorado State Patrol said it will maximize its presence on Colorado’s roads but pleaded for help from motorists, saying state officers 

“What we’re seeing across Colorado are the consequences when too many drivers ignore the rules of the road, and it’s unacceptable,” Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said. “Troopers, along with our local law enforcement partners, will continue to remove drivers putting lives and communities at risk.”

Indeed, deaths caused by impaired driving — at 278 — is up 6% from 2021, officials said.

That number has been increasing. Since 2019, deaths involving an impaired driver rose by almost 60%. While alcohol was the most common cause of impairment, drivers who tested above the legal limit for active THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, increased from 50 in 2020 to 79 in 2021.

Combinations of drugs are also a problem, with 25% of impaired drivers in fatal crashes having more than one substance in their blood, with alcohol and cannabis the most common, officials said.  

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“Drive sober, wear seat belts, obey speed limits and be mindful of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists — treat your fellow road users with common courtesy and collectively we will improve safety across our communities,” Packard said. 

Officials also said seat belt use in Colorado remains stagnant at 87% and lags behind the national average of 90% and noted that the majority of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes did not wear seatbelts.

Officials also noted rural areas typically have a disproportionately higher rate of crash fatalities.

Officials said they plan to implement what’s called the Advancing Transportation Safety Program to try and curb the sharp rise in traffic deaths. The program focuses on addressing dangerous driving behaviors; vulnerable roadway users, notably motorcyclists and pedestrians; road design improvements, such as roundabouts, cable rail and enhanced striping; and, fast and effective emergency response to crashes.

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