After years of steadily increasing traffic fatalities in Colorado, the numbers may finally be starting to stabilize in 2018, according to data from the Colorado Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n
So far this year \u2014 relying on data last updated on Dec. 17 \u2014 Colorado has endured more than 582 fatalities on its roadways. And while that number is certainly more substantial than residents and state officials would like, it also represents a slight dip from recent years.<\/p>\n
Following a decline in traffic fatalities from the early 2000s until 2011, the numbers quickly began to increase. From 447 fatalities in 2011, Colorado saw the number of roadway deaths increase by more than 40 percent into 2017 with 648 deaths, the most in any year since 2004. But officials are hopeful that 2018 will spur a new trend in reductions of roadway fatalities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we\u2019re finally starting to see fatalities level off is encouraging,\u201d said Sam Cole, traffic safety communications manager with CDOT. \u201cWe had 648 last year, and this year we\u2019ll have around 600. But every fatality is one too many, and every one of them was preventable. That\u2019s why we don\u2019t call them accidents, we call them crashes. Every one is related to somebody\u2019s poor choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
In CDOT\u2019s Region 3 \u2014 which includes Eagle County along with the northwest portion of the state \u2014 the trends are relatively consistent. There were 55 traffic fatalities in 2013, which grew to almost 80 in 2017, a more than 40 percent increase over the last five years. So far this year there have been only 51 deaths within the region.<\/p>\n
Recent trends point to a number of possible explanations for why fatalities have been up in recent years. Perhaps the most obvious reason is Colorado\u2019s ever-growing population. The state currently has a population of about 5.6 million people, compared to just 4.9 million a decade ago. Population growth is closely related to vehicle miles traveled, a predictor of crash incidences that has also shown considerable growth over the last few years.<\/p>\n
But population growth alone can\u2019t tell the whole story.<\/p>\n
\u201cStatewide we\u2019re only growing by about 1.5 percentage points per year,\u201d said Cole. \u201cBut we\u2019re looking at much bigger increases in traffic fatalities. It has to do with people\u2019s poor driving behavior like speeding, not buckling up or driving impaired.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole said that while part of the problem stems from an increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in urban area of the state \u2014 those fatalities have increased 100 percent over the last five years \u2014 a majority of deaths still come from individuals driving impaired, failing to wear their seatbelts and speeding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a big difference from region to region,\u201d said Cole. \u201cThe traffic fatalities on our roadways are amazingly consistent. If we could continue to tackle those three main factors we\u2019d bring down fatalities considerably. If we got to 100 percent seatbelt usage, it would save upwards of 60 lives a year. If we could take drunk drivers off the roadways it would save 100 to 200 lives a year. You could really make a big dent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole said that, along with this year\u2019s decline in fatalities, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of roadway safety in Colorado. He said that despite relatively low seatbelt usage rates, and the upwards trend of drunk driving in the state, those numbers could be much higher without the state\u2019s safe driving campaigns like The Heat is On and Click It or Ticket. He also noted that Colorado is ranked first in the country in the usage of smartphone Breathalyzers.<\/p>\n
Cole said that there are also other tools to help drivers be safer on the roadways, such as \u201cdo not disturb\u201d features on smartphones to help prevent distracted driving.<\/p>\n
But ultimately, it\u2019s up to each individual driver to make sure they\u2019re taking the necessary steps to stay safe on the roadways.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does look like we\u2019re finally at a breaking point where fatalities will finally be stabilizing,\u201d said Cole. \u201cThough, one year does not make a trend. We need people in 2019 to be extra diligent when they\u2019re on the roads. \u2026 Over 90 percent of crashes are related to somebody\u2019s behavior, and not a rock fall or the design of the roadway. The good news is we can control that. It\u2019s in our ability to bring these traffic fatalities down. We just need the perseverance to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n