GOLDEN, Colo. — Starting this spring, if you speed through a highway construction zone in Colorado, you could get a ticket without ever being pulled over.
Photo speed cameras are coming to the state's highways as a part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) $5 million effort to reduce crashes.
"Speeding is okay until you hurt somebody. It's not a victimless crime," said Colorado State Patrol (CSP) Trooper Sherri Mendez.
Mendez said speeding is the leading cause of crashes in Colorado. In 2024, CSP investigated 573 speed-related crashes with injuries or fatalities — a slight improvement from the 688 speed-related crashes in 2023.
After studying radar cameras in other states like Connecticut and Maryland, Colorado officials hope they can improve safety on our roadways.
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CDOT said the rollout will start in construction zones since fatalities in such zones nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024. Eventually, CDOT will expand automated enforcement to other areas where drivers exceed limits.
The exact locations haven't been disclosed, but Floyd Hill was discussed as a possible starting point during a recent transportation meeting.
While transportation officials insist the cameras aren't being installed as a way for the state to make money, not all drivers are convinced.
"They're going to catch a lot of people speeding, and that just means they're going to be able to send out a lot of those tickets to people, which then just brings in the revenue," said Josiah Rivera, who lives in Denver.
But drivers like Rivera believe the cameras could help deter some of the bad behavior he sees on the roads.
"You don't know who's in that next car. You don't know if it's a family of six in a minivan, a dad and his wife and they have five children, you don't know who's in that next car," Rivera acknowledged.
Colorado law requires drivers to be notified at least 300 feet before approaching the camera. The law also requires the camera to only issue warnings for the first 30 days. After that grace period, speeders will receive fines starting at $45.
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