Colorado State Patrol Asks Drivers to “Give Some Space”

Ridealong- Durango 2021

1/3 of Colorado Construction Zone Crashes Caused by Tailgating

(COLO) – Constructions zones have lower speed limits and a number of high-visibility warning devices for good reason, these areas can be dangerous and deadly for roadside workers. Yet despite efforts to capture driver focus and encourage safe driving through work zones, in 2022, Colorado State Troopers investigated 1,138 crashes in construction zones across the state.

“Road work can be frustrating and sometimes confusing. This is exactly why it is each driver’s responsibility to stay focused on the task of driving while following traffic rules,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “There is no other way to say this – people’s lives are depending on you. Construction zones require extra caution!”

April 17 kicks off National Work Zone Awareness Week and with the warming weather, Colorado communities will begin experiencing an increase in road construction projects.

The Colorado State Patrol is sharing the top causal factors of construction zone crashes investigated by troopers in 2022. Troopers found that approximately 1/3 of these crashes were caused by drivers following too closely to the vehicle in front of them. The second most common cause was due to drivers committing a lane violation in a construction zone (22%) and the third top causal factor was driving distracted through this high-risk area (17%).