The latest scheduled chain-check on I-70 shows more of the same: Passenger vehicles are more likely to speed, and most truckers do travel with chains.
Six agencies from Evergreen to Glenwood Springs stopped 162 commercial drivers and wrote just five tickets for chain violations, a rate of 3%. Truckers earned another five tickets for other violations.
Authorities also stopped 108 private vehicles and wrote 30 tickets for speeding, roughly 28%. Speeding was the number one reason for a stop.
- Stops made… 270
- CMVs stopped… 162
- Passenger vehicles stopped… 108
- Passenger citations… 32
- Speeding citations… 30
- CMV citations… 10
- CMV chain compliance citations… 5
This week’s campaign happened on Wednesday, March 5 between a round of winter storms, including a Fat Tuesday blizzard that closed I-70 for 10 hours between Silverthorne and the tunnels. Jackknifed semis and multiple passenger spinoffs were to blame.
Why aren’t authorities stopping drivers to check for traction during a storm? Colorado State Patrol says, “These operations will be held when weather is not inclement to ensure commercial and private drivers are prepared.”
See results from the first I-70 chain check. These campaigns continue through Memorial Day, when the CMV chain requirement is lifted.
Summit Count authorities were not involved in this week’s campaign.