Colorado drivers are showing improvements in road safety, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) 2025 Driver Behavior Report. The release of this report comes just before CDOT’s annual Traffic Safety Summit in Breckenridge, where over 340 transportation professionals and safety advocates from across the state will gather to discuss issues such as impaired driving, distracted driving, pedestrian safety, speeding, and seat belt use.
“This report gives us a clear picture of where progress has been made, and where challenges remain,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “The Traffic Safety Summit provides an opportunity to turn data into action, and brings together a wide range of partners to shape effective, collaborative strategies for saving lives on Colorado’s roads.”
Findings from the report indicate that unsafe driving behaviors per driver have decreased for the second consecutive year. In 2025, the average number dropped to 1.19 per driver compared with 1.27 in 2024 and 1.35 in 2023. Despite this improvement, more than one-third of drivers continue to report speeding on highways.
CDOT conducted a random-sample survey with responses from 1,695 residents across 61 of Colorado’s 64 counties. The survey assessed attitudes and behaviors regarding seat belt use, speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, motorcycle safety awareness of laws and young driver habits.
Ninety percent of respondents said they always wear their seat belts while driving. However, some groups were less likely to consistently buckle up.
Thirty-six percent admitted to regularly exceeding speed limits on highways or interstates.
Distracted driving saw some positive trends: those who reported making phone calls while driving dropped from 42% in 2024 to 34% in 2025; those sending messages fell from 30% to 23%. Awareness of Colorado’s ‘hands-free’ law is high at ninety-one percent among drivers; those who used phones while driving were less likely to know about the law.
Regarding impaired driving behaviors: twenty-one percent reported having driven within two hours after consuming alcohol, cannabis or prescription drugs that could impair them within the last month. Few drivers believed they could safely drive under the influence—7% for alcohol and around nine percent for cannabis or prescription medications—but thirty-three percent of cannabis-using drivers admitted they drove within two hours after using it during the past month. Thirty-six percent thought they could drive safely after using cannabis.
For motorcycle riders surveyed: about seventy-eight percent reported wearing helmets most or all the time; seventy-one percent did not practice lane filtering.
Male drivers and individuals aged between twenty-five and forty-four were found most likely to engage in risky behavior behind the wheel.
“This research provides valuable insights into the behaviors of Colorado drivers,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “The results reveal areas of progress, ongoing issues and opportunities for education. These findings will help CDOT continue to develop targeted efforts that address risky behaviors and improve the overall safety of our roads.”
