Denver is the largest city in the state of Colorado – it serves as the gateway to the rest of the area’s most popular places. If you visit Denver, you’ll find you have easy access to some of the region’s most beautiful scenery and ski resorts. Denver also plays home for plenty of local residents that take advantage of the city’s thriving business community. Denver is also home to world famous NFL franchise, the Denver Broncos – whose famous Mile High Stadium proves difficult for visitors to play in.

If you live in Denver, you most likely own a car to help you navigate the city. Those who drive in the city need to have proper insurance – but auto insurance has proven to be extremely expensive in recent times. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best ways to stay safe and aware on Denver roads. Our company can help you find some of the cheapest quotes for car insurance on the market.

Denver: Driving Conditions in the City

Driving conditions in Denver can be extremely hazardous, so it’s important to understand what you’re up against if you’re unfamiliar with the roads. Traffic can be extremely bad, especially during the mornings and early evenings. Make sure to keep an eye on traffic notifications, and be aware of potential traffic issues while you’re on the road.

Perhaps the biggest risk to Denver drivers is the weather. Winters in Denver can be extremely treacherous, you will have to deal with heavy snow and icy roads. It can be extremely dangerous to drive during these times – make sure to keep your eye on weather reports and listen to specific warnings from local officials. If you don’t think you can drive, don’t risk it – driving in heavy snow or ice can be a fatal choice.

Driving Safety Laws in Denver, Colorado

While weather conditions can be unavoidable, it’s important to make sure you follow as many of the road rules as possible if you want to remain safe on Denver roads. People driving in Denver will need to abide by both local and state laws – you don’t want to end up with a large fine.

Phone/Handheld Laws in Denver

It is illegal to text and drive in Denver and the punishment is extremely strict. If you are caught texting and driving, you may receive a fine of up to $300 on your first offense! This makes Colorado one of the strictest states in terms of texting and driving.

You can still use your phone for calls if you are over the age of 18. While you might feel comfortable calling on your phone while driving, it is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Seatbelt and Car Seat Laws in Denver

If you’re an adult, you can legally go without a seat belt if you are in the back seat of a vehicle. While this is the case for the back seat, those driving or in the passenger seat must wear a seatbelt.

If you want to understand how car seat laws work, you’ll have to find out which category your child fits into. Colorado has more strict guidelines for car seats than many other states. Check out the overview of the car seat laws below:

• Child weight between 20 – 40 pounds and aged 1 to 4 – Must be secured in a child safety seat, either rear facing or forward facing.
• Child under 1 or under 20 pounds – Rear facing child seats only.
• Children over four and over 40 pounds until age of 8 – Child must be restrained in child booster seat or specialist safety belt.

Helmet Laws in Denver

If you ride a motorcycle in the city of Denver, you need to wear a helmet at all times if you are under the age of 18. Those over the age of 18 do not have legal requirement to wear a helmet. Regardless, you should always wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Even if you trust your own ability to ride, this doesn’t mean that you can trust other drivers on the road.

Alcohol and Drug Laws (Driving)

Driving while under the influence is illegal in all 50 states of the United States. In Colorado, there are two different subsections that an offense can fall into – Driving While Ability Impaired (DWIA) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The blood alcohol content limit (BAC) for those above 21 is .08 for a DUI. For DWAI, this limit is lower and falls at .05. If you’re under the age of 21, the limit for a DUI is reduced to .02.

In terms of penalties, those who receive a DUI face potential punishments that include up to a year in jail, 9-month license suspension, 96 hours of community service, and other punishments. Those who receive a DWAI can face up to 180 days in jail, 48 hours of community service, a $500 fine, and 8 points on their driver’s license. If this does happen to you we can help you compare SR22 insurance quotes since this is the insurance type you will need and it will cost you more.

As you can see, drinking alcohol while driving can cause serious issues for people – it may result in serious fines or punishments. In addition, intoxicated driving is responsible for a large portion of annual road deaths – don’t drink and drive.

Denver Statistics

Colorado has plenty of accidents on their roads, so it’s important to stay vigilant when you drive. Auto deaths have been on the rise in the state, with 630 deaths reported in 2017 – a four percent increase on the previous year.

Verdict

As you might be able to tell, there are plenty of things to consider when driving on Denver roads. While risks are always present, it’s very important to make sure that you have a solid insurance plan that can help reduce the potential costs of an accident. Our company is dedicated to helping you find the cheapest auto insurance rates in Colorado. If you don’t live in Denver, make sure to check out some of the other city-specific pages on our site. We also have plenty of other valuable content on auto insurance – check it out!