CDOT report shows Colorado drivers are making safer choices
News Release
Statewide — This week, the Colorado Department of Transportation released the 2026 Driving Behavior Report, a statewide survey of how Coloradans drive and how well they understand the state’s traffic safety laws. The results are encouraging, showing measurable drops in distracted and impaired driving alongside higher seat belt compliance.
On average, Colorado drivers reported engaging in 1.19 of the four unsafe behaviors in 2026, a decrease from 1.35 in 2023. CDOT surveyed 1,615 Coloradans for the report, with respondents from each of the state’s 64 counties.
“Seeing a decline in dangerous driving behaviors reported by the average Coloradan should give our communities a renewed sense of optimism and commitment to bettering our roadways and daily drives,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Our work isn’t finished yet, since the average driver is still participating in at least one dangerous and illegal behavior while driving. Driving comes with tremendous responsibility, so we have to root out the behaviors that place us all at risk, help our youngest drivers develop a safety mindset and never make excuses to drive while impaired.”
“It’s encouraging that the report shows more Coloradans are making safer choices behind the wheel, particularly when it comes to distracted and impaired driving and seat belt use,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “But the report also makes clear that risky behaviors are still far too common. Every trip requires our full attention and good judgment. These findings help us understand where we need to focus our education, enforcement and safety efforts to prevent crashes and save lives.”
Key findings of the report include:
Distracted Driving
- The share of Colorado drivers who picked up their phone to make or receive calls or send or read texts while driving in the past week fell from 53% in 2024 to 47% in 2026, coinciding with the introduction of Colorado’s hands-free law.
- Top reasons drivers said would stop them from using their phone while driving:
- Hands-free car features (44%)
- If phone blocked calls or messages (23%)
- Expected ticket (23%)
- Approximately three out of four Colorado drivers (74%) said they ate food or drank a beverage while driving in the past week, making it the most common form of distracted driving in Colorado
- Drivers with a 2011 or newer vehicle were much more likely to talk hands-free on a phone (73%) than those with older vehicles (42%)
Impaired Driving
- 19% of Colorado drivers said they drove within two hours of consuming alcohol, cannabis or impairing prescription drugs in the past 30 days, down from a high of 28% in 2023
- Top factors drivers said would stop them from driving after using a substance:
- Thought they were a danger to others (49%)
- Thought they couldn’t drive safely (49%)
- Thought they would get a DUI (42%)
- About one in 10 Colorado drivers agreed (somewhat or strongly) that they could drive safely while under the influence of prescription medication (10%), cannabis (10%) or alcohol (9%)
- Almost three-quarters (73%) of drivers correctly believed they are required to give a breath or blood sample upon a DUI arrest under Colorado’s Expressed Consent Law.
Seat Belt Use
- Most Colorado drivers (93%) said they wear a seat belt all the time when driving, up three percentage points from 2025
- Groups less likely to say they always wear a seat belt included:
- Drivers aged 18 to 24 (85%)
- People of color (86%)
- Drivers without a college degree (87%)
- Male drivers (91%)
Speeding
- Most Colorado drivers said they drove over the speed limit on main highways (73%) and local highways (69%) at least some of the time
- Drivers in the Denver metro area were more likely to say they sped all or most of the time (23%) than drivers living outside the Front Range (11%)
- Male drivers were more likely to say they sped all or most of the time (23%) than female drivers (16%).
Motorcycles
- The majority of drivers (82%) knew that lane filtering is legal in Colorado
- Among Colorado motorcycle riders, 75% said they have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s license
- 75% of motorcycle riders said they wear a helmet all or most of the time while riding. This is relatively consistent with the 2025 figure of 78%.
Young Drivers
- Young drivers are more likely to engage in certain dangerous behaviors
- 85% of drivers aged 18 to 24 wear their seat belt, 8% less than the average population
- 44% of drivers aged 18 to 45 say they sped most or all the time on highways/interstates, 7% higher than the average
- Younger drivers aged 18 to 34 were more likely to agree they could drive safely under the influence of cannabis (17%)
Download the full 2026 Driving Behavior Report from the CDOT website.
