Causes of Car Accidents in Colorado Springs

What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Colorado Springs?

Careless driving is the most common recorded cause of car crashes in Colorado Springs when a cause is identified, including in fatal crashes.

Careless driving is a broad classification that can encompass several forms of inattention, unsafe vehicle operation, and poor judgment.

From 2019 through 2023, careless driving, failure to yield, and following too closely were the three most frequently reported driver actions in crashes across the Pikes Peak region and Colorado, excluding records categorized as having no contributing driver action.

Beginning in 2021, aggressive driving and drivers who looked but failed to see another road user were among the leading reported contributing factors.

On Colorado Springs roads, these driving errors can combine with sudden traffic backups, crowded intersections, and changing weather conditions.

Car accidents in Colorado Springs can result from the following behaviors and conditions:

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving includes several forms of inattention, from looking at a cell phone to adjusting navigation controls, eating, or talking to passengers.

A distraction can take a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or attention away from traffic, making it easier to miss a changing light or another car braking ahead.

Reading or sending a text can take a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds, enough time to travel roughly the length of a football field at 55 mph.

Distracted drivers may drift into the wrong lane, overlook pedestrians, or react too late when other cars stop unexpectedly.

In 2024, 3,208 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving distracted drivers.

A Colorado Springs distracted driving accident can happen on a residential street, at a busy intersection, or in fast-moving highway traffic.

Drunk and Drug-Impaired Driving

Alcohol can impair coordination, judgment, attention, and driving ability even at relatively low blood alcohol concentrations.

At a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02%, drivers may already experience reduced visual function and difficulty performing two tasks at once.

A driver under the influence may misjudge the speed of oncoming cars, make a wide turn, enter the wrong lane, travel the wrong way on a highway ramp, or fail to recognize stopped traffic.

Prescription medications, illegal drugs, and combinations of substances may also interfere with concentration and reaction time.

In 2024, 11,904 people died nationwide in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers.

Colorado Springs DUI accidents can involve impaired motorists traveling through intersections, crossing centerlines, or losing control at highway speeds.

Failure to Yield the Right of Way

Failure to yield is a frequent cause of intersection car accidents, particularly when drivers turn left across traffic, enter a roadway from a parking lot, or merge without enough clearance.

A driver may look toward approaching traffic but fail to see another vehicle, or make an improper turn after misjudging how quickly an oncoming car is traveling.

These mistakes can cause side-impact crashes, particularly when other motorists have little time to brake or change direction.

Failure to yield was one of the leading reported driver actions in the Pikes Peak region’s 2019–2023 crash records.

Failure-to-yield accidents in Colorado Springs often involve left turns, stop signs, traffic signals, and disputes about which vehicle entered an intersection first.

Bad Weather and Hazardous Driving Conditions

Colorado Springs drivers encounter snow, ice, rain, fog, and strong winds that can make otherwise familiar roads difficult to travel.

The city receives approximately 42 inches of snow annually, and elevation and wind can cause conditions to vary across neighborhoods.

Rain reduces visibility and leaves less friction between tires and wet pavement, increasing the distance a vehicle needs to stop.

Snow and black ice can reduce traction even further, especially on shaded streets, bridges, and roads that have not fully cleared.

A driver who maintains a normal following distance on an icy road may not have enough space to stop when traffic slows.

Bad-weather car accidents in Colorado Springs commonly involve both difficult conditions and driver choices such as speeding, abrupt braking, or following too closely.

Speeding and Driving Too Fast for Conditions

Speeding increases crash risk by reducing the time available to recognize hazards and increasing the distance traveled before a driver can stop.

Higher impact speeds also increase the potential injury severity for drivers and passengers, including those wearing a seat belt.

Driving too fast for conditions can be dangerous even when a vehicle is traveling below the posted speed limit.

For example, a speed that is reasonable on dry pavement may be unsafe when snow begins accumulating or traffic suddenly backs up on I-25.

Speeding contributed to 29% of U.S. traffic fatalities in 2024.

Road Rage and Aggressive or Reckless Driving

Aggressive behaviors include weaving around slower traffic, passing unsafely, tailgating, making abrupt lane changes, and accelerating to block another vehicle from merging.

Road rage can escalate these dangerous behaviors when an angry driver follows, threatens, or deliberately confronts another motorist.

Street racing creates additional danger because drivers may reach extreme speeds, ignore traffic signals, and put people in other cars at risk.

A driver engaging in reckless behavior can force surrounding motorists to brake suddenly or swerve, leading to secondary collisions.

Aggressive driving was among the most frequently reported contributing factors in the Pikes Peak region beginning in 2021.

Following Too Closely and Tailgating

Tailgating leaves too little time and space to respond when the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, making it a common cause of rear-end collisions.

Even when a driver’s eyes remain on the road, an inadequate following gap can leave too little time to stop safely.

Maintaining a safe distance gives motorists more room to react to unexpected braking, traffic backups, and road hazards.

A gap that seems sufficient on dry pavement may become unsafe in heavy rain or snow, when stopping distances increase.

Following too closely was one of the three most frequently reported driver actions in the Pikes Peak region during 2019–2023.

Unsafe Lane Changes and Improper Merging

Changing lanes without checking blind spots or judging the speed of approaching traffic can cause sideswipe collisions and sudden evasive maneuvers.

A driver may begin merging onto I-25 before there is adequate space, or cross multiple lanes on Powers Boulevard without noticing another vehicle nearby.

An unsafe lane change can also force another motorist into the wrong lane or off the roadway.

Distraction, speeding, and poor visibility make these mistakes more likely, especially where several lanes of traffic converge.

Running Red Lights and Stop Signs

Drivers who enter an intersection against a red light or fail to stop at a stop sign can travel directly into the path of crossing vehicles.

Some drivers do not see the signal because they are distracted, while others accelerate to get through before a light changes.

Rolling through a stop sign or turning without checking for approaching cars can also lead to a serious auto accident.

Colorado Springs uses red-light safety cameras at selected intersections, including North Academy Boulevard at Dublin Boulevard and Barnes Road at Tutt Boulevard.

The cameras are one part of the city’s road safety efforts to reduce dangerous intersection driving.

Drowsy and Fatigued Driving

Drowsy driving slows reaction times, reduces attention, and makes it harder to maintain speed or lane position.

A tired driver may miss a traffic signal, overlook another car braking, or briefly fall asleep and drift across the centerline.

Fatigue can impair performance much like alcohol: remaining awake for 17 consecutive hours can produce impairment comparable to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%.

Night shifts, long-distance travel, inadequate sleep, and certain medications can all contribute to fatigue.

Drowsy driving becomes particularly dangerous when combined with speeding or driving at night.

Poor Visibility and Nighttime Driving

Driving after dark makes it harder to judge distances, identify pedestrians, and see vehicles entering from side streets.

Reduced visibility and depth perception can delay a driver’s response to turns, road debris, and stopped traffic.

High beams from oncoming vehicles can create glare, while poorly lit intersections may conceal hazards until a driver is close to them.

Nighttime motorists may also be tired or alcohol-impaired, although darkness itself does not mean a driver is impaired.

About half of fatal U.S. traffic crashes in 2024 occurred in darkness, including on lighted roads.

The U.S. traffic fatality rate per mile traveled at night is approximately three times the daytime rate.

Inexperienced Drivers

Younger drivers and newly licensed motorists may have difficulty recognizing developing hazards, choosing a safe speed, and judging the distance of approaching vehicles.

A driver who has limited experience in snow may brake too sharply or steer abruptly after losing traction.

Passengers, cell phone notifications, and unfamiliar roads can also distract inexperienced drivers.

In 2024, 6% of drivers ages 15 to 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted, the same proportion reported for drivers ages 21 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44.

Experience can improve hazard recognition, but drivers of any age can make dangerous mistakes.

Vehicle Defects and Dangerous Road Conditions

Car accidents can also occur when a vehicle malfunctions or a roadway presents an unexpected hazard.

Mechanical failures involving brakes, steering components, or tires can interfere with a driver’s ability to control or stop a vehicle.

Potholes, debris, obstructed sightlines, uneven pavement, and unexpected construction changes can also contribute to a crash.

A tire failure at highway speed or an abrupt maneuver around road debris may lead to loss of control, especially if surrounding traffic leaves little room to react.

Some collisions involve a combination of vehicle problems, road hazards, and unsafe driving decisions.

Springs Law Group Represents Colorado Springs Car Accident Victims

Car accidents in Colorado Springs can happen when a driver runs a stop sign, fails to yield, follows too closely, or loses control on a dangerous road.

Even careful motorists cannot always prevent accidents caused by another person’s reckless behavior or poor judgment.

Springs Law Group represents injured drivers and passengers in Colorado Springs and throughout El Paso County, including cases involving disputed fault, uninsured drivers, and serious injuries.

If you were injured in a car crash, contact Springs Law Group for a free consultation or use our website’s chat feature to discuss your situation.

We represent qualifying personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, with attorney fees and case expenses explained in a written agreement.