DENVER — Drivers in El Paso County have won the race for the “most extreme speeders” in the state, data from the Colorado State Patrol released Wednesday shows.
In all, El Paso County drivers received 2,170 citations for speeding last year, nearly three times more than drivers in Douglas County (863), who nabbed second place, according to the data.
“In addition to the dangers they pose, many extreme speeders don’t consider the penalties if caught,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol in a statement Wednesday. “Often drivers are also charged with careless or reckless driving in conjunction with the underlying speeding offense. Extreme speeding has heavy consequences.”
Driving 25 mph over the speed limit on Colorado roads will get those caught a misdemeanor that is punishable by a fine, and can lead to court costs, public service and between 10 to 90 days in jail, a spokesperson for the CSP said.
- Check out the Top 5 counties which landed on CSP’s “most extreme speeders” list in the graph below.
Since speed increases the risk and severity of crashes, penalties are therefore adjusted to how much a driver is cited for going over the speed limit – the higher the speed limit, the harsher the penalty.
Some of those penalties also include points being taken from your driver’s license, which remain there permanently, even though they only affect driving privileges for two years.
“However, a driver’s driving record is kept for seven years and can be accessed by vehicle insurance providers and prospective employers,” a CSP spokesperson said.
The CSP said in a news release the statistics are part of a three-month campaign aimed at reducing the state’s top fatal crash factors.
“This campaign wants every Colorado driver to break the myth that speeding is a “victimless crime” and encourages you to drive like a trooper is riding with you,” the spokesperson said.
- Denver7 explored some of the safety issues plaguing Colorado drivers — and those who get around on two wheels — in a 30-minute special last year. Watch it in the player below.
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