Colorado saw 6% dip in overall traffic deaths in 2023 — but a record-high 131 pedestrian fatalities

Colorado reversed a decade-long surge in traffic fatalities with 716 deaths recorded in 2023, a decrease of 6% compared with the record-setting 764 fatalities in 2022.

But Colorado Department of Transportation data reflects a continued shift toward what authorities describe as high-speed reckless driving and increased roadway fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

Nearly a third of 2023’s traffic fatalities — 31.2% — involved drivers who were impaired due to alcohol or cannabis, CDOT data shows. The latest estimates for “distracted driving” deaths hadn’t been completed but drivers gazing at smartphones and vehicle touchscreen systems have played a role in about 60 deaths a year.

Around the state, drivers crashed with deadly results most often in El Paso County, where authorities recorded 78 deaths, followed by Denver County (71), Arapahoe County (68), Adams County (62), Weld County (55), Jefferson County (48), Larimer County (44), Pueblo County (40), Boulder County (28) and Douglas County (23).

The total miles traveled on Colorado roads has increased due to population growth and people driving more. Colorado’s traffic fatality rate — deaths per 100 million miles traveled in vehicles — has increased rapidly since 2011. The rate since 2021 has hovered around 1.3 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. That’s about half the fatality rate in the 1980s when the Colorado population and vehicle miles traveled were much lower.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that we’ve reached the peak and that in the years to come we will continue to see declines,” CDOT spokesman Sam Cole said on Thursday.

“There is a national trend of roadway traffic fatalities increasing. Are people just being more careless? I don’t know. But a lot of this has to do with the variety of roadway users out there,” Cole said. “We see more people walking, biking, and riding e-bikes and scooters. This has a lot to do with the deaths on roads. That’s where the spikes have been the largest — with those vulnerable roadway users. ”

Colorado State Patrol, CDOT and Denver officials were planning to unveil the data Monday and discuss possible new safety measures.

The roadway fatalities included a record-high number of pedestrian deaths — 131, up from the previous record of 115 in 2022. Bicycling deaths on roads numbered 20, up from 15 in 2022, the same as in 2019, and down from 22 in 2018, CDOT records show.

Colorado officials plan to continue safety campaigns aimed at reducing traffic fatalities. These include efforts that focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety in Denver and other urban areas. Roadway improvements, such as the installation of rumble strips and guard rails, have been part of the campaigns.

“The increase in traffic fatalities, particularly those involving pedestrians, is incredibly concerning,” said Jonathan Hughes, a University of Colorado economist exploring impacts of deadly roadways. “There is an important role for new state and federal policies because drivers may not fully appreciate the risks they impose on other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.”

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