Wheat Ridge Police Department
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Aggressive driving contributes to deadly car crashes in Colorado more than in nearly any other state.
In Colorado, four in 10 fatal collisions involved aggressive or careless driving in 2024, accounting for 255 of the state’s 642 deadly crashes. That is the fifth-highest rate in the nation, according to a LendingTree analysis released on July 6, using the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The only states with a higher share of fatal collisions involving aggressive or careless driving are Arkansas (47.2%), Louisiana (46.2%), New Jersey (45.1%) and Hawaii (43.3%).
Road rage incidents are becoming more frequent in Colorado. Reports to the state patrol’s aggressive driving hotline have increased each year since 2023, the Denver Post reported. The hotline received 33,387 road rage reports in 2025, ranging from tailgating and passing, to showing a weapon and getting out of the car to confront another driver.
“We aren’t going to ‘ticket’ our way out of this ranking,” State Patrol Chief Matthew C. Packard says of the latest analysis. “Despite over 42,000 speeding citations last year from our agency, troopers know that this behavior continues on Colorado roadways.”
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Last year, Malloy Law Offices gave Colorado the highest “road rage score” in the country, based on categories including fatal crashes and gun violence incidents on the road. In 2024, Simmrin Law Group also ranked Colorado as the worst in the nation for road rage, based on the percentage of fatal road rage-related collisions between 2017 and 2021.
Colorado is still trending in the wrong direction, according to the Colorado State Patrol. National data is not yet available for 2025, but CSP says there were multiple indicators of aggressive driving last year. In 2025, CSP investigated over 500 fatal and injury crashes that involved speeding, 2,795 crashes that involved following too closely, and 26 crashes that involved unsafe or illegal passing.
Last month, two drivers stopped in the middle of Interstate 70 to fight after tailgating and brake-checking each other. A viral dash camera video shows multiple vehicles swerving around the men, narrowly avoiding what would be a fatal collision. Both drivers were cited for disorderly conduct, according to the Wheat Ridge Police Department.
In April 2025, a driver in the midst of a road rage altercation struck a vehicle of innocent people, killing a 21-year-old man and injuring six others on Interstate 25. The driver was arrested for vehicular homicide, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.
How to handle aggressive drivers
Colorado law enforcement urges drivers not to engage with road ragers. If you encounter an aggressive driver, CSP advises to get out of the way and not make eye contact, nor should you respond with a hand gesture or outwardly indicate disapproval of their driving. Then, when it is safe, pull over and call the authorities.
Drivers should report unsafe driving to CSP by calling *277. Be prepared to provide the vehicle description, license plate number, location and driver description.
The hotline received over 58,000 reports last year, 57.3% of which were related to road rage or aggressive driving, according to CSP. That’s up from 56% in 2024 and 54% in 2023.
In addition, CSP urges Coloradans to spread the word to prevent dangerous driving before it happens.
“It’s a joint effort with loved ones to help aggressive drivers rethink their stance on speeding, tailgating or other unsafe behaviors before troopers need to intervene and remind you,” Packard says.
Nationwide, men caused nearly four in five fatal crashes tied to aggressive or careless driving in 2024, according to the LendingTree analysis. Millennials and Gen Z drivers accounted for nearly 60% of the fatal crashes.
