DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s chain law has been in effect for a month now, and Colorado State Patrol is reminding commercial drivers to carry chains after dozens were cited for violations on Wednesday.
CSP said its troopers and Port of Entry officers were stopping commercial motor vehicles on Interstate 70 near Dotsero on Wednesday to make sure they were in compliance with the states chain law.
During the operation, CSP contacted 468 drivers and found a chain compliance rate of 89.5%. Of those drivers, 102 were cited, including 50 for chain violations. One driver did not have a commercial driver’s license and 70 failed to stop for the compliance check.
The compliance rate was slightly up from CSP’s proactive chain enforcement operation in early September, which resulted in 49 chain violations.
The law is in effect from Sept. 1 to May 31, and requires commercial motor vehicles on several roads in the high country to be equipped with chains to use in the case of wintery road conditions.
The law also applies to vehicles with a combined weight over 16,000 pounds and vehicles used to transport at least 16 occupants.
Though it is not quite winter yet, snow has been reported on multiple occasions in the high country already, plus Colorado’s unpredictable weather could always bring more.
CSP said it always enforces the law, but it will be doing another concentrated enforcement operation the week of Oct. 13.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
