COLORADO — Fatal accidents continue at a troubling rate in Colorado. Numbers in southeast Colorado, especially El Paso County, are far higher than years past.
Safety experts say numbers should be down, because at the height of COVID-19 Stay at Home orders, traffic dopped by 50%. Instead, fatalities went way up. "That's a huge problem and we ask why,” said Sam Cole with the Colorado Department of Transportation,” It's just because we're seeing more dangerous driving, but more in El Paso County than in other areas of the state.”
In recent months there has been in improvement in some parts of the state. In the southeast region of Colorado, fatal accidents are close to 20% above previous years. So far in 2020 El Paso County is at 42 overall traffic fatalities. Motorcycle crashes are a big contributor to the total. There have been 17 in El Paso County. Compare Denver County with 23 total fatalities, and five from motorcycle crashes.
Speed, DUI, and distracted driving are the leading factors.
