Mountain- driving bill is about safety
Re: “We’ll pass on this bill, thanks,” Jan. 21 editorial.
Senate Bill 18, which I am sponsoring, would prohibit mountain drivers from impeding more than five vehicles following immediately behind, requiring them to pull off the road.
The Denver Post claims that the bill may not be feasible due to fear, carelessness, or lack of motivation. Frustratingly, The Post disregards the safety measures within this bill and the common frustration of many drivers on mountain roads.
After frequent visits to mountain areas across the state, I am confident that Coloradans want this issue to be addressed, and they deserve a safe law in place that encourages common courtesy.
On mountain roads, it is common for a pile of cars to be stuck behind a slow- moving truck, trailer or RV. Sometimes drivers with little mountaindriving experience will be well below the speed limit as well.
My bill allows for these slow- moving vehicles to pull over so that backed- up vehicles can safely pass.
I most recently saw 17 cars piled up due to a slow- moving vehicle on a mountain road between Divide and Florissant. Three drivers passed a double yellow line, narrowly avoiding a collision. Rather than tempting drivers to cross double yellow lines and unsafely pass, this bill will ensure safer driving conditions.
Coloradans frequently travel mountain roads and need a law in place to ensure all drivers’ safety, to decrease the temptation to unsafely pass a double yellow line, and to reduce the risk of traffic accidents from oncoming cars. This bill can save lives and it is asking for a law in place that should already be an act of common courtesy for drivers on Colorado’s roads.
Perhaps The Post’s editorial board does not believe that Coloradans are willing to make kind gestures to their fellow neighbors or that they are not capable of making smart, safe decisions?
We need a uniform safety measure for all drivers on
mountain roads.