The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said late last week that the Traction Law (Code 15) and Operation TireSafe courtesy tire checks have been frequently implemented over the past three months along the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
The purpose of the law and tire checks is to increase driver safety.
When the Traction Law is in force, all passenger vehicles either must be a four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle or must have snow tires, mud-and-snow tires, tire chains or another traction device on the vehicle. Regardless of the vehicle type, drivers must have tires with a minimum one-eighth inch tread.
From Oct. 22 to Jan. 20, officials enforced the Traction Law 145 times: 129 on I-70. 14 on U.S. 6 above Loveland Pass and two on U.S. 40 above Berthoud Pass.
“It makes sense for vehicles to be prepared for the conditions, and that’s exactly what the Traction Law requires,” Ryan Rice, the Division of Transportation's systems management and operations director, said. “If you’re in a snowstorm, and your tires aren’t adequate, you’re not only a danger to yourself, but everyone else on the road.”
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