DENVER — Colorado’s busy highways are increasingly becoming dangerous, not just because of the increased traffic, but because of an alarming number of accidents involving pedestrians -- who are not supposed to be there in the first place.
The Colorado State Patrol said Monday in a release that over the last three years, there have been at least 157 crashes involving vehicles striking people on highways in Colorado, 75% of which resulted in serious injuries or death.
Additionally, the CSP release said there was a 52.9% increase in crashes involving a person on a roadway in 2021 over 2020.
“Crossing a highway on foot or walking alongside a road that is not designed for pedestrians is extremely dangerous,” said Sergeant Troy Kessler with the CSP in a statement. “Seeing a person walking on a road not designed for pedestrians would be unexpected for a driver.”
The CSP ranked the five worst Colorado counties where these types of crashes were seen more often in the last three years. They include:
- Adams County
- Jefferson County
- El Paso County
- Arapahoe County
- Boulder County
The Colorado highways where these occur most often include:
- I-25
- I-70
- US 287
- US 6
- US 50 and US 285
The CSP recommends to drivers who find themselves in a situation where their vehicle breaks down is to pull off as far from the road as possible and turn the hazards on.
“If you can place yourself safely on the opposite side of a guardrail or up on a hill, exit the car on the non-traffic side and move to the safest possible location. If you can’t call for help and need to walk, go to the nearest exit or safe location by walking facing traffic as close to the edge of the road as safely possible,” a CSP release said.