Speeding was a factor in 237 deaths on Colorado roads last year, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Over the past five years, speeding-related crashes have resulted in 1,274 fatalities statewide. CDOT notes that drivers who exceed speed limits pose significant risks not only to themselves but also to pedestrians and bicyclists, especially in urban neighborhoods.
Pedestrian and bicyclist deaths have risen by 34% since 2016, while deaths among passenger vehicle occupants increased by less than 3% during the same period. In response, CDOT has launched a new public outreach campaign with advocates, victims, and law enforcement agencies. The initiative aims to increase awareness about the dangers of speeding and encourage safer driving behaviors.
The campaign features infographics, posters, and yard signs distributed across Colorado. It emphasizes research showing that as vehicle speed increases, so does the risk of serious injury or death for pedestrians. For example, at 32 miles per hour (MPH), a pedestrian’s average risk of death is 25%, but this rises sharply to 75% at 50 MPH.
Speeding was identified as a leading cause of traffic fatalities in Colorado last year—surpassing impaired driving (215 deaths) and unbuckled crashes (189 deaths). State officials are focusing enforcement efforts on areas deemed most sensitive on roadways and highways.
Adams County recorded the highest number of speeding-related traffic deaths in 2024 with 32 fatalities, followed by El Paso County with 25 and Denver County with 23. El Paso County has consistently ranked among the top five counties for speeding citations since 2019 based on data from the Colorado State Patrol. The county also reported the second-highest total for traffic deaths and injuries last year: there were 78 fatalities and more than 450 serious injuries.
“Speeding drivers put everyone on Colorado roads at risk, especially vulnerable road users like pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “A common misconception is that speeding mainly occurs on highways, but the truth is, it happens on all roads. So, whether you’re on a highway, city street or rural mountain road, slow down and always watch for pedestrians. You could save a life.”
CDOT highlights another misconception—that speeding saves time—is largely unfounded. According to AAA Colorado research cited by CDOT: traveling at 80 MPH instead of 75 MPH over a distance of 100 miles would save only about five minutes; overall daily savings for most drivers amounts to just over twenty seconds.
Findings from CDOT’s latest Driver Behavior Report indicate that most drivers admit to exceeding posted speed limits: seventy-one percent said they sped at least occasionally on main highways; nearly half admitted doing so on city streets.
“Speeding puts you in a lose-lose situation and is never worth the gamble. Not only does speeding put you at risk of a ticket, but it also increases the likelihood of a crash,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Running late for work, school, an appointment or your next obligation should never be an excuse to speed or drive recklessly. Remember that speeding inevitably puts you and everyone else at a much greater risk of death or serious injury.”
In total during 2024 alone,Colorado State Patrol troopers investigated more than five hundred sixty fatal or injury crashes involving excessive speed. The agency issued its highest numbers of citations for drivers caught exceeding posted limits by more than twenty miles per hour along five major roadways statewide.
