Colorado State Patrol started chain law inspections along I-70 near Dotsero on October 1st. Most truckers were ready, with almost 90% passing the checks.
By the numbers: Troopers and Port of Entry officers made 468 contacts with truck drivers that day.
- 102 tickets were given out in total, and 50 were for missing chains.
- 70 trucks did not stop for inspection, even though the law says they should.
- One driver was found without a CDL.
- Overall, 89.5% of commercial vehicles checked were following the chain law.
Colorado requires chains on all trucks from September 1 through May 31. The law covers any commercial rig over 16,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers.
Why it matters: Glenwood Canyon and Vail Pass are trouble spots for winter crashes, which state officials say can be tied back to trucks going too fast on slick roads. Each hour I-70 closes is a $1.6 million hit to Colorado’s economy, according to the Denver Gazette.
Chain checks started a month after the Colorado chain law kicked in for the season. The next round of inspections will likely keep focus on highway safety through spring.