NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO STATE PATROL
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School zones and construction zones have lower speed limits, traffic calming devices and a number of high-visibility warning devices for drivers for good reason. Kids' and roadside workers' lives are at risk. Yet, when looking at data from the Colorado State Patrol in 2023, troopers alone cited 1,237 people for speeding in construction or school zones, a 12 per cent increase over 2022 (1102 citations).
“Kids, neighbors and road workers are counting on you, Colorado! Currently, motorists are failing these vulnerable populations,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Motorists should never assume people will not be present in these low-speed zones and follow the law because people’s lives literally depend on you.”
Speeding is a common type of aggressive driving, and it can happen on neighborhood streets as well as busy four-lane highways.
“Speeding can be habit forming, but it doesn’t make it excusable,” explains Col. Packard. “When you don’t drive cautiously and lawfully in school and work zones, you display extreme indifference to your neighbors and community.”
According to Colorado State Patrol data, 48 of Colorado’s 64 counties had at least one instance of a driver receiving a citation in either a work zone or school zone. The top five counties with the most speeding citations issued by Colorado State Troopers in these low-speed zones in 2023 were:
- El Paso County (222)
- Larimer County (131)
- Adams County (127)
- Mesa County (111)
- Garfield County (88)
Troopers are asking you to put away the distractions and look for the mobile and permanent signs that prompt you to slow down or follow shifting lane patterns. Keep your cool by practicing your patience and always leave extra space between your vehicle and other motorists, equipment or people.
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