Colorado cities with the worst drivers

Top Colorado cities for the worst drivers

To rank the Colorado cities with the worst drivers, we calculated a “crash score” for each city with a population of at least 50,000. We analyzed the following five factors and added them together to determine the crash score:

• Number of fatalities due to crashes per 100,000 people
• Number of crashes related to bad driving per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving speeding per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving driving under the influence per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving positive blood alcohol content per 100,000 people

1. Commerce City

Crash score: 55.51

In addition to having the highest rate of fatalities per 100,000 people in 2022, Commerce City also saw the highest number of fatalities per 100,000 people in crashes involving drivers with positive blood alcohol content (BAC), at 14.27. The city was also home to the highest rate of fatalities involving speeding (9.52 per 100,000 people).

2. Pueblo

Crash score: 51.15

Pueblo saw the second-highest number of crashes related to bad driving and the third-highest number of fatalities per 100,000 people in 2022, at 10.77 and 13.46, respectively. Most of the state’s fatalities (12 out of 15) occurred in crashes that involved a positive blood alcohol content.

3. Loveland

Crash score: 47.06

The number of bad driving crashes per 100,000 people was highest in Loveland, at 11.77. A higher number of total fatalities per 100,000 people (13.07) helped contribute to the city’s high crash score.

4. Aurora

Crash score: 32.01

Aurora’s relatively low number of fatalities in crashes involving driving under the influence (3.10 per 100,000 people) and speeding (4.13 per 100,000 people) is offset by a larger number of total fatalities (12.39 per 100,000 people).

5. Grand Junction

Crash score: 31.86

The second-largest number of total traffic fatalities per 100,000 people in 2022 — 13.65 per 100,000 people— occurred in Grand Junction. The reason the city didn’t rank any higher on our list was its lower number of fatalities from accidents involving speeding and drivers with positive blood alcohol results (both at 3.03 per 100,000 people).

6. Colorado Springs

Crash score: 27.94

Colorado Springs had a lower rate of fatalities in crashes involving driving under the influence or a positive blood alcohol test in 2022 — both tied at 2.92 per 100,000 people — but its higher number of total fatalities (11.05 per 100,000 people) elevated its crash score.

7. Thornton

Crash score: 27.50

Nine of the 12 fatal crashes in Thorton in 2022 were related to bad driving. CBS News reported that dangerous driving in Thornton has led to so many crashes that city officials have allocated part of the annual city budget to install new red light cameras at two intersections.

8. Denver

Crash score: 27.29

Denver has a lower number of fatalities in crashes involving driving under the influence per 100,000 people, at 1.83. Although its total fatality count linked to crashes was the highest of any city in 2022 (74), its higher population of 710,800 means the total number of fatalities per 100,000 people was 10.41, eighth highest on our list.

9. Lakewood

Crash score: 26.90

Lakewood’s number of fatalities involving speeding per 100,000 people, at 1.92, is the lowest on our top 10 list. However, the number of traffic deaths, at 10.89 per 100,000, is seventh highest in Colorado, and the number of bad driving crashes is eighth highest.

10. Westminster

Crash score: 25.11

Fatalities involving driving under the influence were the lowest on our list in Westminster, at 0.87 per 100,000 people, with only one death in 2022. The city’s rate of bad driving crashes, at 4.33 per 100,000 people, is also relatively low. But a higher number of fatalities involving speeding (6.06 per 100,000 people) makes Westminster’s crash score 10th highest out of the cities we studied.

Comparing Colorado’s drivers with America’s

When we compared drivers in Colorado with those across the U.S., we found the state’s drivers are worse in every category. Colorado’s statewide crash score of 35.94 in 2022 was about 26% higher than the U.S. score of 28.62. We previously found that Colorado ranked fourth in our analysis of states with the worst road rage.

Tips for safe driving in Colorado

While you’re behind the wheel in Colorado, have these tips in mind to keep yourself (and your vehicle) safe:

• Avoid distractions whenever possible. This includes not using your phone to text while driving, which is illegal in Colorado.
• Make sure your car has all-wheel drive. The snow and sleet of Colorado winters can make roads more difficult to navigate, and the surrounding mountain regions may be dangerous for ill-equipped vehicles.
• During especially bad winter conditions, any vehicle on the road is legally required to have four- or all-wheel drive, winter tires or chains.
• Watch out for any cars making a left turn at a red light. Doing so is legal under Colorado law if a driver is making a left turn from one one-way street to another.
• The Colorado State Patrol encourages reporting any aggressive drivers by dialing CSP (*277). Keeping reckless drivers off the road reduces the chance of them hurting themselves or others.

Crash score data by Colorado city

The table below shows crash scores and score components for each of Colorado’s cities with a population of 50,000 or more. The data is from 2022.

Methodology

To determine the Colorado cities with the worst drivers, the ConsumerAffairs Research Team looked at cities in Colorado with a population of 50,000 or more. We analyzed the most recently reported crash data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 2022.

We combined five crash factors to create a “crash score.” These factors are:

• Number of fatalities due to crashes per 100,000 people
• Number of crashes related to bad driving per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving speeding per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving driving under the influence per 100,000 people
• Number of fatalities involving positive blood alcohol content per 100,000 people

Examples of “bad driving” included:

• Aggressive driving/road rage
• Careless driving, inattentive operation, improper driving or driving without due care
• Driving on the wrong side of a two-way road (intentional or unintentional)
• Driving the wrong way on a one-way road
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Following improperly
• Improper lane usage
• Improper or erratic lane-changing
• Making any other improper turn
• Operating a vehicle in an erratic, reckless or negligent manner
• Operator inexperience
• Passing where prohibited by posted signs, pavement markings or a school bus displaying a warning not to pass
• Passing with insufficient distance or inadequate visibility or failing to yield to an overtaking vehicle

For questions about the data or if you'd like to set up an interview, please contact acurls@consumeraffairs.com.

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Article sources

ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).” Accessed Aug. 7, 2024.Link