It's been the deadliest start to a year for motorcyclists in the state in nearly a decade, according to newly released statistics from The Colorado Department of Transportation.
According to CDOT, 15 motorcyclists died on Colorado roads between January and March of this year, the most fatalities involving motorcyclists in that time frame since 2017.
“Typically between November and February time, that's when motorcyclists are putting up their bikes because it's too cold, it's snowing, it's very rainy, it's icy everywhere. But these last few months, it's been extremely warm, which just gives the riders more time to get out and about,” Hunter Mathews, a Colorado state trooper, said. “A lot of the times in winter, people are not worrying about motorcycles, so it's giving them a little bit of a shock when they see them on the road, and could be leading to more accidents that we're seeing.”
▶️ Denver7 anchor Micah Smith digs into what's driving this deadly trend, in the video player below.
Colorado State Patrol and CDOT are asking drivers to use extra caution and be on the lookout for motorcyclists ahead of the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer, a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the state historically sees an increase in traffic crashes and fatalities, especially among motorcyclists.
Mathews said motorcyclists should also wear protective gear like helmets.
“Even though the law doesn't say that you have to wear a helmet, we do highly encourage it, because a helmet will save your life if it comes down to it,” Mathews said.
Nearly half of all motorcyclists killed in Colorado over the last five years were not wearing a helmet.
According to CDOT, Weld and Pueblo counties have the highest percentage of fatalities involving unhelmeted riders. Riders aged 40 to 59 have the highest rate of non-helmet use in fatal motorcycle crashes.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and CDOT reports that last year, 148 motorcyclists were killed on Colorado roads, accounting for 21% of all traffic deaths. Motorcycle fatalities have increased by nearly 90% over the past 15 years.
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