Distracted driving is on the rise in Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, or CDOT, and it’s garnering special attention at the state level.
In 2019, car crashes involving distracted drivers resulted in 39 deaths across Colorado. In 2021, the number of fatalities caused by distracted drivers rose to 672 – a number that marked the most traffic deaths reported in Colorado since 2002, as well as a 50% overall increase in traffic deaths since 2011, a CDOT press release stated.
Moreover, a survey conducted by CDOT in 2021 revealed that 91% of adult Colorado drivers had driven while distracted at least once in the past week, and “more than half of those drivers said they were ‘often’ or ‘always’ distracted when driving,” according to the press release.
In efforts to combat the increasing number of distracted drivers statewide, on March 30, CDOT announced the organization’s plan to launch a public education campaign in April – also Distracted Driving Awareness Month – that will encourage people to not use their cellphones while driving.
While CDOT focuses on informing the public about the dangers associated with distracted driving this month, the Colorado legislature will continue its consideration of Senate Bill 175. If passed, the bill would change Colorado’s law around distracted driving.
Since its beginnings nearly two years ago, Senate Bill 175 has aimed to alter Colorado’s current law which makes it illegal only for individuals under the age of 18 to use mobile electronic devices when driving, according to the Colorado General Assembly website.
The bill proposes that this prohibition extend to all Coloradans, regardless of their age, unless they use a hands-free accessory like speakerphone or Bluetooth headphones to use their mobile devices when driving.
Colorado Senator Chris Hansen has been a prime sponsor of Senate Bill 175 since it was born. His support of the bill stems, in part, from his experiences with distracted drivers who, on two separate occasions, have hit him with their cars while he has been biking, he said.
“Cars are very big pieces of metal and when you’re not paying attention while driving them, bad things can happen really fast,” Hansen pointed out.
Hansen helped create the original version of the Senate Bill 175 that was introduced to the Colorado General Assembly in 2020. However, the bill was denied during the legislative session due to concerns about how enforcement of the new law might lead to disproportionate policing. In other words, the concerns were about how “police departments might use the bill as a way to target Black drivers,” Hansen said.
Following the failure of the original Senate Bill 175, Hansen and his team spent the next two years addressing the concerns that came up in a redraft of the bill.
“We put in the bill’s provisions that data tracking will be done to make sure that that’s not a problem in Colorado,” Hansen said. Additionally, the new version of the bill cites research that suggests zero evidence of disproportionate policing of distracted drivers in the 24 other states where similar laws are in effect, he added.
The new version of Senate Bill 175 was introduced to the Colorado General Assembly for a second time earlier this year.
Last week, on April 5, the bill was heard and voted on by the Colorado Senate’s Transportation and Energy Committee.
In attendance at the committee meeting was Craig Towler, a resident of Boulder who was hit by a distracted driver in 2016 and, as a result, lost both of his legs.
Towler, who has dedicated himself to advocating for increased road safety in Colorado since the accident, used his story as a lens while testifying to the importance of Senate Bill 175 at the meeting.
By the end of the meeting, the Transportation and Energy Committee voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 175’s progression to the Senate’s House of Appropriations.
The House of Appropriations expects to vote on the bill in a meeting one day this month, according to the Colorado General Assembly website, although the meeting hasn’t been scheduled yet.
While Towler hopes Senate Bill 175 will be passed, he considers the proposed legislation as only a small step towards safer roads in Colorado.
“It’s good to have progressive policies reflect the values of our community by moving towards a safer environment,” Towler said. “But, regardless of the law, there’s never going to be enough enforcement to really make positive change. We have to make people understand why it’s important on a personal level for them to make choices that will keep others safe.”
Between the progress of Senate Bill 175 and CDOT’s efforts to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, the future of the issue may look different after this month.
“Colorado needs to make it clear that you need to have your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road,” Hansen said. “Let’s get people to change the way they’re using cell phones in the car.”
CORRECTION: This article has been altered to reflect the correct spelling of Craig Towler's last name.
