Tag: Colorado
Marijuana linked to higher car fatality rates
The number of fatal car crashes involving marijuana use tripled between 2000 and 2010, according to a recently released Columbia University study. As MSN reports, researchers ran toxicological investigations on almost 24,000 vehicle fatalities, finding that use of the drug “played at least some role” in twelve percent of fatalities. This study, along with a […]
Smoking marijuana’s legal in Colorado, but not while driving
On January 1, 2014, Colorado legalized marijuana. While many have welcomed the move, others fear that DUI accidents will rise. What is the state doing to ensure that doesn’t happen? For starters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given a $400,000 grant to Colorado. The state’s law enforcement officials plan to use the […]
Rural car accidents may prove more fatal
A recent investigation into 10 years of car accident data provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation suggests that accidents occurring in rural areas are more fatal than those occurring in more urban zones. The investigation, led by I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS, analyzed the decade of traffic fatality information and contrasted it with the […]
U.S. 36 transformation underway
The story of U.S. 36, a Colorado highway connecting Boulder with Denver, is similar to that of other roads throughout the country: it’s overworked and under-equipped. According to the New York Times, after opening in 1952, built to carry 3,000 cars daily by 1980, the highway was serving 14,000 cars daily by 1966. Today’s figures […]
Traffic enforcement drops, deaths rise in CO
The numbers speak for themselves: Between 2002 and 2010, highway traffic deaths in Colorado experienced a historic decline, dropping from 743 to 439. Then the Colorado State Patrol dramatically cut back on highway traffic enforcement in 2011 and 2012. Traffic-related fatalities spiked, climbing to 486 last year.