Colorado State Patrol is increasing its efforts to promote safe driving and combat drunken driving.
Overall crashes in Troop 5A’s jurisdiction are down 21% compared to last year, while proactive DUI arrests are up 18%, according to CSP Capt. Angela DeGuelle.
DeGuelle said the Cortez team in Troop 5A, which is made up of troopers in Cortez, Durango and Pagosa, are leading in DUI arrests, proactive contacts and overall enforcement actions.
In Troop 5A, there are three state patrol sergeants, 12 troopers, three corporals and one captain.
Speaking with The Journal on Tuesday, DeGuelle said Colorado State Patrol is emphasizing that drivers obey traffic laws, wear their seat belts and pay attention while driving to help continue to lower the number of crashes in the state and in local districts.
One of the ways troopers spotlight traffic safety is through their monthly “surge days” where they increase their presence on the road.
“We just have as many people as we can out working and make a lot of traffic stops, really enforcing our traffic laws, but really trying to be more visible,” DeGuelle said. “When we do those, I'd like to get that out like, ‘Hey, this is what's happening. This is what we're doing. This is why you're seeing an increased presence,’ because our job as state troopers is to save lives.”
DeGuelle says the best way to save lives on the road is through traffic enforcement and education.
Motorcycle crashes are increasing statewide, with one of the most recent fatal crashes taking place near the top of Coal Bank Pass, between Durango and Silverton.
To prevent these kinds of fatalities, DeGuelle said it’s vital to drive the speed limit, follow traffic laws and be a good, conscious driver.
DeGuelle said motorcycle riders should wear a helmet, and drivers should always wear a seat belt. Parents should ensure their children are properly wearing seat belts and/or sitting in a proper car seat based on their age and size.
Throughout the conversation, DeGuelle consistently emphasized that drivers need to pay attention to their speed and what is going on around them, noting that the leading cause of crashes in July were lane violations. Many times, lane violations occur when the driver isn’t paying attention on the road and is speeding.
There would be far fewer crashes if drivers pay attention to their lane, speed and didn’t drive under the influence of alcohol and other substances, DeGuelle said.
Crashes overall for the year to date are down 21% as of July 28, according to the Vehicular Crimes Analysis Unit. Troopers have increased their number of proactive contacts by 21%, which contributed to the shift.
“I think it goes hand in hand, the more people you contact, the lower the crash picture,” DeGuelle said.
However, proactive DUI arrests have increased by 18%.
“That means more people are out there drinking when they are driving when they shouldn’t be,” DeGuelle said. “I’m not including animals in there. These are human caused crashes. If people were going the speed limit, paying attention to driving and staying in their lane, we can really knock out so many of the crashes. We could avoid them.”
“Wear your seat belt, slow down, give the other drivers a little bit of grace,” DeGuelle added.
If a residents spot a dangerous driver, DeGuelle said to call the Colorado State Patrol by dialing *277. The call will go to a dispatch center, where it will be followed up on.
“Sometimes it’s not immediate, but we do take those seriously,” DeGuelle said. “If there’s a drunk driver, please call that in. We’re small in number, but we are very diligent and hard working.”
DeGuelle also said keeping the community safe takes on an entirely new meaning when they also take into account that their families live there.
“We all live here, you know, we want our community safe,” DeGuelle said. “If this is where our spouses are, our children are … our families live here. We want them to be safe.”
Colorado State Patrol troopers are also willing to speak on traffic safety and other related topics at community events, school events and more. Those interested in scheduling a sit-down with a state trooper can contact the state patrol office.
“We would prefer voluntary compliance, and that’s through education versus having to write someone that ticket,” DeGuelle said.
