Stricter enforcement of the state’s law mandating appropriate tires is improving travel on the Interstate 70 mountain corridor.
Or so say transportation officials, who are ramping up efforts to keep traffic on the interstate from being bogged down by weather and bad driver decisions when the snow flies.
Between Oct. 22 and Dec. 1, the state’s Code 15 traction law was implemented 66 times along I-70. When Code 15 is in effect, all passenger vehicles need to have either snow or mud and snow tires, or four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle, or use chains or an alternative traction device — like an AutoSock.
All tires, regardless of the vehicle, must have a minimum one-eighth of an inch of tread, said CDOT spokeswoman Amy Ford.
Code 15 can be in place for a few hours and then lifted and then put into place again several hours later if there is more snow, Ford said.
Code 15 is being used much more than in the past, and that could be one of the reasons the early winter driving season has been uneventful, she said.
“We can’t say that entirely is the reason that travel has been uneventful,” Ford said, “but we can say that some have noted that they have never seen so many passenger vehicles using chains in inclement weather.”
Local tire companies have also said the Code 15 law is one of the reasons customers are buying new tires, said Ford.
So far, CDOT has not implemented the Code 16 Passenger Vehicle Chain Law, the final safety measure before the highway is closed during severe winter storms, Ford said. Under the chain law, every vehicle on the roadway is required to have chains or an alternative traction device.
When either of these laws are in effect, a motorist can be fined more than $130 for not having proper equipment or more than $650 for blocking the roadway. Cars that can’t get a proper grip on the snow and ice slow down traffic and can be a safety hazard, said Ford.
CDOT began a multi-pronged campaign two years ago to relieve congestion on I-70 after an especially bad winter driving season in 2013-14.
A tolled express lane on I-70 is scheduled to be open on Dec. 12. The agency also began relying on existing driving laws as part of the effort.
CDOT’s work seems to be paying off, Ford said.
Last year, there was a 35 percent decrease in fatal and injury crashes and a 46 percent decrease in weather-related crashes along the I-70 mountain corridor, CDOT says.
“With the traction law, we’re reminding drivers that adequate tires are absolutely essential to a safe trip up and down the hill,” said Ford. “We want to see 100 percent of drivers checking their tires before getting on I-70, and ideally, avoid traction-related crashes.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or @montewhaley
