COLORADO – A reminder ahead of the winter weather– it is illegal in Colorado to leave a car running and unattended to warm up.
Colorado Springs Police report hundreds of vehicle thefts every year by thieves on the lookout for puffing tailpipes.
Drivers who leave their vehicles unattended with the keys inside can be ticketed by police, no matter where the vehicle is parked at the time.
The minimum fine is $15 and the maximum is $100. In 2017, legislative analysts estimated there are about 50 tickets a year for “puffing” across the state.
We spoke to police in January about the problem and officers brought up an often overlooked issue with unattended vehicles. “You potentially could have some civil liability because you left that motor vehicle running,” Lt. Howard Black, a spokesman for CSPD said.
There is an exception to the law for those with remote start vehicles. That exemption was signed into law in 2016 because doors can be locked and the ignition key can be kept away from the vehicle while it is running.
