COLORADO (KOAA) — Winter officially begins this Sunday, December 21!
Colorado State Patrol (CSP) says that just over a quarter of total crashes for the year happen during this time of year, despite Colorado drivers traveling fewer miles between December and February.
Winter recreation, holiday celebrations, seasonal weather, and challenging driving conditions all contribute to the season's crashes.
Between 2021 and 2024, CSP identified the following as the top underlying factors;
- Speed (23%)
- Lane Violations (15.8%)
- Inattentive Driving (12.4%)
- Animal Caused (9.7%)
- Following too Close (9.2%)
“Seasonally, troopers see that distracted driving actually decreases during winter compared to other times of the year, signaling that people are more likely aware of weather impacts on the road. Now we need to convince more people that driving an appropriate speed for the weather conditions is in the best interest of everyone on the roads. Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive aren’t a ‘magic’ pill to avoid a crash.”
CSP says drivers should adjust their speed as temperatures drop after snow and ice have fallen, increase their following distance, and brake sooner.
If you need a refresher on driving in wintery conditions, News5's Liv Wood spoke to a local driving instructor on the best driving practices during this challenging season.
One wildfire in Yuma County reaches about 40K acres, amid windy conditions
Officials told us they believe these fires were caused by downed power lines. The Scripps News Group is working to gather more information and will have a crew reporting the latest updates.
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