Here are the counties with the most road fatalities last year, according to preliminary data crunched by the Colorado Department of Transportation. 

El Paso — 83

Adams — 82

Denver — 67

Arapahoe — 56

Weld — 53

Jefferson — 46

Pueblo — 40

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

A deadly year: 745 died in Colorado road crashes in 2022

Officials said rural areas, which often lack close-by trauma centers, typically have a disproportionately higher rate of crash fatalities

This means incident management is critical, official said. 

“CDOT is committed to improving post-crash care and reducing response times for emergency services. The survivability of a crash is directly tied to a fast and effective emergency response, which makes our roads safer for everyone,” said Patrick Chavez, a traffic incident management program coordinator for CDOT. “We also want to reduce the impact on the flow of traffic and the likelihood of secondary crashes. We’re continually evaluating and improving how we respond to traffic incidents to keep other drivers and incident responders safe.”

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