Sunday marks the first official day of winter. Your family’s holiday travel plans just got more complicated.
Colorado State Patrol investigated over 25% of annual crashes during winter months over the past four years. The leading cause isn’t ice or snow – it’s speed. Drivers traveling too fast for conditions accounted for 23% of winter crashes from 2021-2024. Lane violations came second at 15.8%.
“Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive aren’t a ‘magic’ pill to avoid a crash,” said Colonel Matthew Packard, CSP chief.
Ice and snow reduce tire friction. Your vehicle needs longer stopping distances – sometimes double what dry pavement requires. The physics don’t care about your drivetrain. CSP data shows three behaviors that consistently prevent winter crashes: reducing speed when temperatures drop, increasing following distance from other vehicles, and braking sooner than feels necessary.
This weekend, CSP’s DUI teams will patrol Weld, Adams, Boulder and Broomfield counties. They’ve already investigated 127 impaired-driver crashes in Weld County this year – twelve fatal, 43 with injuries. The Front Range counties saw 324 impaired-driver crashes, seven fatal. Most of those crashes happened on weekends. Most were preventable.
Thursday afternoon, a four-vehicle crash on northbound I-25 near Loveland killed a child. The crash was secondary – it happened because an earlier medical emergency pulled one vehicle to the roadside, creating the conditions for the fatal collision that followed. Earlier that day, a semi crash on westbound I-70 near Deer Trail closed the interstate in both directions for a medical helicopter. Fuel leaked across the highway. Hazmat teams responded.
These aren’t statistics to the troopers working the scenes. They’re not statistics to the families receiving phone calls.
When you slide off the road, someone has to respond. State troopers work those scenes in the same conditions that caused your crash – often on highway shoulders with traffic passing at 65 mph. EMTs and firefighters respond to medical emergencies in weather that delays their arrival. Tow truck operators work in darkness on icy roads pulling vehicles from ditches. Hazmat teams clean up fuel spills in sub-zero temperatures.
They all want to make it home to their families. Your driving decisions directly affect their safety.
Colorado roads deteriorate every winter. Mountain highways see repeated freeze-thaw cycles that create potholes and surface damage. Urban corridors face salt damage and heavy traffic wear. Poor roads plus winter conditions plus excessive speed equals predictable outcomes. CSP crash data documents the pattern every year.
The solution isn’t complicated: drive slower when conditions deteriorate, leave more space between vehicles, brake earlier than normal, and plan for a sober ride if you’re drinking. If you see an impaired driver, get out of their way first. Then pull over and call *CSP (*277) or 911. Provide vehicle description, license plate, location, direction of travel, and the specific dangerous behaviors you observed.
Last year CSP arrested 3,806 drivers for DUI. Eight percent were under 21. Five percent were over 60. A DUI conviction costs thousands in fines and legal fees. You lose your license. You may lose your job. Your family absorbs the financial and logistical burden.
If you’re a primary caregiver, someone else must drive your kids to school, activities, appointments. Social consequences follow. PTAs, nonprofits, coaching positions – organizations that valued your involvement will ask you to step down. Young drivers damage trust with parents that takes years to rebuild. Older drivers lose independence, triggering isolation and mental health impacts.
One decision changes everything. Make it before you start drinking.
CSP’s increased DUI enforcement runs through Sunday in multiple counties. Troopers will focus on impaired drivers but will address any dangerous driving behavior observed. The holiday season brings family gatherings, travel across mountain passes, and celebrations that often include alcohol. It also brings wind, snow, cold, and ice on roads that were already deteriorating.
Your families want you to arrive safely. First responders want to make it home to theirs. Adjust your speed for conditions. Increase your following distance. Plan your sober ride before the party starts.
The physics of friction on ice don’t negotiate. Neither do the statistics.
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