Colorado State Patrol will address safety on Colorado roads Friday after two CSP vehicles and a Department of Transportation safety patrol vehicle were struck by drivers who were speeding or distracted in the past week.

Maj. Darce Weil, State Patrol commander for District 1, will speak at a press conference at 1:30 p.m. in Castle Rock about these incidents and the “Move Over, Slow Down” law. The law requires drives to do just that: Move over and slow down when approaching not only police cars, firetrucks and ambulances, but also tow trucks and maintenance vehicles.

Last year, 50 first responders died as a result of struck-by incidents nationally as of Dec. 22, according to CSP. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle incidents are a leading cause of death for law enforcement officers in the line of duty, accounting for 33% of line-of-duty deaths between 2011 and 2020.

Colorado traffic fatalities in 2022 continue rising trend of past decade

The press conference comes not long after reports that last year saw the highest number of vehicle-related deaths in the state since 1981. Traffic crashes claimed 745 lives on Colorado roads in 2022, representing a 57% increase from 10 years ago, according to traffic officials.

Officials have announced plans to introduce the Advancing Transportation Safety Program to try to curb the sharp rise in traffic deaths. The program will focus 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.

Deadliest Colorado counties: El Paso, Adams, Denver with most road fatalities in 2022

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