All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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One of my favorite movies is Groundhog Day. In the movie, Bill Murray has a line in one of his reports that is also a favorite of mine. “Well, it’s Groundhog Day…again.” That resonates with me more than you know. Well it’s pothole season…again. After a Colorado winter we see an influx of potholes around the state. This is not the fault of road crews, it's just our weather tearing into the roads as it does every year. So why bring up these axle killers? They can also be dangerous for drivers. Often, I see people driving along the roadway and...
The blinker is the most misused item in a vehicle. It's a great tool to have when trying to communicate with fellow drivers. What an invention – a system that lets others know what you're thinking and you don't have to utter one word or make any other sound. So why are so many drivers afraid to let others know what they are going to do? I know there aren't that many shy drivers out there because I've seen a lot of them. They use the horn for everything. Tapping it to say hi, letting someone k...
I guess it's that time of year to make sure everyone is ready for the impending snow season. This is mostly a list of making sure you haven't taken anything out of your vehicles that you may need when you are traveling this winter. Let's go over the basics. Are your tires in good condition and do they have at least 3/16th inch of tread as required? I know you don't take these out of your vehicle, but do you usually run snow tires during the winter? It's a good time to get ready and make sure...
I always talk a lot about seatbelts, and how they save lives. Using your seatbelt is quite simple, you grab the strap, pull it over you and click the buckle. It makes sure you survive in a crash. But when it comes to securing your little ones in car seats, they are often installed improperly. It's really no fault of parents that child safety seats are not as secure as they should be. Today's car seats are complicated. That is why there is help out there for any parents, grandparents, or guardian...
The old proverb simply states, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." It means trying to do what someone else does, or think like someone else thinks is a compliment to that person. Parents, you should feel flattered, because your kids spend a large amount of time watching your actions and then imitating them. People often imitate or follow along with others without thinking about their actions, sometimes when doing unsafe acts. So, when you are in your vehicle with your kids, remember...
Motorcycle season is now upon us again. Dust off the motorcycle seat and check it out to see if your bike and you are ready to hit the open roads again. As fun as it is to ride a motorcycle, I wanted to let you know that the Colorado State Patrol is seeing an increase in motorcycle crashes and fatalities and we really want to curb that problem. Contrary to what a lot of people may think, a lot of these crashes haven't included other vehicles. They are single motorcycles going down. This issue...
Ask a Trooper about how to drive safer on the roadway, and you better take a seat because it could be a while before the Trooper finishes. I have plenty to say about driving, and the hardest part is picking a single topic among the myriad number of laws to talk about. But, if you are interested in more, try out the Colorado State Patrol YouTube channel and watch our podcast on driving in Colorado. We go more in-depth on a lot of the topics I hit on each month and have a little fun with it as...
I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays this year. It's been a hard and difficult year for a lot of people. With that being said, people don't need anything else sad happening to them. The last thing I want for anyone is to get that knock on the door and being told a loved one has been killed in a crash. So, this time we are going to talk about safety when it comes to curves. We have a lot of them throughout the state so I know everyone has experienced them, but a lot of us are not doing...
We have a couple of snowstorms under our belt already this year, and we have had our standard crashes that come with those storms. Just as you need to get used to your sea legs when sailing, you need to be ready for snow when driving and how your vehicle will respond to different surface textures. So, these are the topics I want to hit on in this article this year: freezing rain, windblown snow, and compacted snow. Freezing rain scares me the most. I've been doing this job for 17 years now, and...
If you have spent anytime in the military, you have heard the term "Watch Your Lane." It means keeping your eye on your target on the rifle range. In the civilian world, I'm referring to the lane you're watching while driving in it. Watching your lane will help you get home safely. Over the years, I've covered a lot of crashes that have dealt with vehicles going off the roadway. We even have a statute that covers this problem: Failed to drive in designated lane. So why is this such a problem...
On Nov. 26, 2016 my friend Trooper Cody Donahue was killed by a truck that failed to move over while he was investigating a crash. This is a story we hear all too often. Prior to that crash, there was a Move Over law already in effect. So why didn't it work in that situation or countless others? I believe there are several reasons for that. Fully knowing the law is one of them; the other is not paying attention to your surroundings. The Move Over law is set up to assist law enforcement, fire...
The word "yield" has many meanings in the English language. You can yield to the next speaker, or the land can yield food from the garden. But today I bring up "yield" as in the road sign. Too often I find that drivers treat a yield sign as a free for all to go through intersections or turns onto other roads without even slowing. A yield sign allows a driver to reduce speed instead of having to come to a complete stop. Call a yield sign a small time-saver. But remember, it doesn't mean you may n...
As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to hit not only the United States, but the entire world, I know that it is affecting everyone's mental health. It's hard not to focus on anything but what is plaguing us. But there are still things going on that have nothing to do with COVID-19 that we still have to deal with. My articles are about being safe on the roadways, and they still need to be. What we need to remember now during all of this is keeping our minds focused when driving, and b...
Once again, it's time to look towards the youth of Colorado where we give them an experience of a lifetime. The mission of a Colorado State Patrol Trooper is not just enforcing the laws on the state's highways, and interstates. We are also very involved in educating the public in various areas. One way we do this is working with Colorado's youth. Once a year for one week in July, the Colorado State Patrol allows teens who are at least 16 years old from across the state a chance to see how State...
Driving is a feeling of freedom you get when you're able to just travel wherever you wish. But, there may come a point in time when either you or someone close to you must make the decision to put the keys away and find another way to commute. Talking to an older person about their driving can be difficult and is often delayed until their driving is to a point of being dangerous. But if delayed too long, it can be a hesitation that can turn fatal. I speak from personal experience when I lost my...
At one time or another most of us have found ourselves in a bad situation that we have never experienced before; so what do you do in those situations? Keeping calm and safe is the best advice I have for you. So, if you ever experience a crash, try to keep calm. Check on your passengers to see if they are okay, and then check on the occupants of the other vehicle if there is one involved. A lot of times people feel they need to exit the vehicle immediately. You have just had a very traumatic...
How often do you ask yourself if you are driving impaired? I know you're asking why you would ask yourself that if you are not drinking. But are you actually impaired and don't realize it? Think of it this way, have you ever driven when you were tired or just drove while daydreaming? Let's take a look at this idea. The official definition of Driving While Ability Impaired is driving a motor vehicle when a person has consumed alcohol or one or more drugs, or a combination of both alcohol and one...
This month’s topic is very important in my mind. We are seeing an increase in road rage, not only in our state, but across the United States. The reason road rage starts varies from situation to situation, but it needs to be taken seriously because it can be deadly in the end. I want all of you to be careful when driving the roadways of Colorado. It seems with the increase of traffic and the inevitable gridlock we have when traveling on weekends and holidays, tempers are rising quicker than ever. Here’s a few tips to avoid getting caught up...
