Worst Colorado Places for Drivers Who Won’t Stay in Their Lane

“Stay in your lane” is a phrase frequently used when people drift from what they do best. But failing to remain between the lines on roadways can have tragic consequences, as seen in the growing death toll on Colorado roadways.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, fatalities caused by lane violations soared statewide from 2020 to 2021. The problem is worst in five Colorado counties that racked up a total of at least 25 fatal crashes caused by lane-related issues last year.

Overall, 2021 was a grim one for Colorado drivers. Statistics released in January revealed that 672 people died in traffic-related incidents during 2021, the highest number since 2002. At the announcement, CSP chief Colonel Matthew Packard speculated that risky habits fueled by lower traffic volume during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic – including speeding taken to crazy extremes, driving while drunk or drugged, and paying more attention to cell phones than to the road – continued even after traffic increased, with tragic results.

Here’s a graphic showing the historical trends….

And this is a list of the counties with the most traffic fatalities in 2021:

El Paso: 77

Adams: 66

Denver: 65

Jefferson: 50

Arapahoe: 50

Weld: 46

Further analysis of the data showed that lane violations, which weren’t a focus of the January announcement, had contributed to the grim statistics more than originally realized. For instance, such offenses resulting in injury crashes rose by 30.6 percent in 2021, and fatalities in which they were the cause spiked by 74 percent.

The five counties with the most deaths from lane violations in 2021 were El Paso, Douglas, Boulder, Mesa and Jefferson. Master Trooper Gary Cutler, a CSP spokesperson, wasn’t able to provide last year’s figures for Boulder, but these are the totals for the other four:

El Paso – 9

Douglas – 6

Mesa – 5

Jefferson – 5

Cutler notes that El Paso County also led the state in lane-violation deaths in 2019 (six) and 2020 (seven) – and the nine fatal crashes linked to the issue represent more than 10 percent of its total.

Over the past three years, the CSP found that lane-violation crashes happened most frequently on Saturdays, with the peak hours falling between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. But no matter the day or time, Packard believes drivers are more likely to remain between the white lines if they avoid distractions. “Focus and control behind the wheel occurs when the task of driving is your number-one priority and receives your full attention,” he advises.

That’s especially important in El Paso County.