Pedestrian crashes on Colorado highways, interstates increasing, state patrol says
The highest number of pedestrian crashes that led to serious injury or death were reported in Adams, Pueblo, Douglas, Jefferson and Boulder counties, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Pedestrian crashes on Colorado’s highways and interstates are increasing and often cause serious injury or death, according to data released by the Colorado State Patrol.
Crashes involving pedestrians on “access-controlled roads” like highways and interstates increased by 72% over the same 9-month period in 2023 and 2024, agency officials said in a news release.
State officials tracked 25 pedestrian highway crashes in 2023 and 43 in 2024.
Of the 292 pedestrian highway crashes troopers investigated between 2019 and 2023, more than half resulted in death or serious injury.
“Crossing a highway on foot or walking alongside a road that is not designed for pedestrians is extremely dangerous,” agency chief Col. Matthew Packard said in a statement. “…Drivers aren’t expecting to see people on these types of roads, and highway speeds reduce reaction time and require longer stopping distances, leading to devastating collisions if a pedestrian enters a lane or a vehicle fails to maintain proper lane position.”
Colorado counties with the highest number of pedestrian highway crashes causing serious injury or death over the last five years include Adams, Pueblo, Douglas, Jefferson and Boulder counties.
Interstate 25, U.S. 287, U.S. 50, Interstate 70 and U.S. 6 have the highest number of pedestrian crashes resulting in serious injury or death, according to CSP data.
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