As the only statewide traffic enforcement agency, the Colorado State Patrol investigates approximately 30 percent of traffic crashes in Colorado, including about 70 percent of all traffic crashes involving fatalities.
In CY 2020, troopers responded to a total of 268 fatal crashes on Colorado roadways. The majority of these crashes were a result of: DUI/DUID, Lane Violations, and Exceeding Lawful Speed.
Each crash investigated by the Colorado State Patrol is assigned a causal factor, the error which caused the crash to occur.
Inattentiveness to driving (a category that includes many behaviors, such as talking on cell phones or eating while driving) also contributes heavily to fatal and injury accidents.
Speeding is frequently a factor in fatal and injury crashes, exceeding safe or lawful speed (when considered together) are the second most common cause of fatal and injury accidents.
Aggressive driving behaviors such as lane violations also result in significant numbers of fatal and injury crashes. Other aggressive driving behaviors include following too closely, failure to yield right of way, improper passing, disregarding stop signs, and driving on the wrong side of the road.