DENVER, Colorado (April 7, 2025) – Colorado lawmakers Senators John Carson and Marc Snyder today introduced SB25-281, a bill that aims to improve safety on Colorado’s roads, especially for the most vulnerable, and provide justice for families who have lost loved ones in preventable traffic crashes.
Between 2014 and 2024, pedestrian fatalities increased by 73 percent. During these ten years, 1,131 bicyclists and pedestrians lost their lives on Colorado’s roads. In 2023 alone, 156 bicyclists and pedestrians lost their lives–a record high in Colorado and up from 64 fatalities in 2013.
“Although there are signs that traveling on Colorado’s roads is becoming safer for people inside vehicles, data over the last decade shows that it is less safe for people outside vehicles. One part of the solution is creating a culture of safety on our roads by ensuring that a person who drives without regard for the safety of others and hits and kills a vulnerable road user is held accountable,” said Senator Marc Snyder.
People make conscious choices while driving, and when these choices place other people at risk and result in the death of a vulnerable road user, they should be held accountable. In Colorado, a driver who is at fault and hits and kills a vulnerable road user can be charged with a class one misdemeanor, the same level of offense as other non-violent traffic offenses, such as not securing insurance. The death of a vulnerable road user in a crash is the only crime involving the loss of life that is a misdemeanor in the Colorado statute. A class one misdemeanor excuses the poor choices drivers make and falls far short of addressing the impact of those choices, the death of another person. This undermines efforts to create a culture of personal responsibility and accountability on Colorado’s roads.
“Vulnerable road users have little to no chance of surviving when hit by a driver of a vehicle. Drivers must be held accountable for their actions—especially when they result in death—because distracted or careless driving is a choice, not an accident,” said Victoria Cegielski, mother of Alex. Alex was killed when a driver ran a red light and hit Alex while he was in the crosswalk.
Senator John Carson added, “When we get behind the wheel, we have a responsibility to drive safely. This means our hands should be on the wheel, we should not be distracted, and our minds should be focused on driving. Too often, people are not paying attention or are in a rush and drive in ways that put other road users at risk. People must be held accountable for these choices and the harm they cause.”
A core component of the bill changes the charge of Careless Driving Resulting in Death from a class one misdemeanor to a class 6 felony. In addition to enhancing safety by promoting a culture of accountability on Colorado’s roads, this bill represents a step towards justice for family and friends who have lost a loved one in a traffic crash. Today, the class one misdemeanor charge of Careless Driving Resulting in Death, which includes a maximum fine of $1,000, fails to deliver justice.
“Killing a defenseless bicyclist or pedestrian with a car commands consequences more serious than a mere misdemeanor. How a society punishes those whose carelessness takes a life is one measure of how that society values life. Driving is a privilege, and one with potentially deadly consequences. Elevating this homicidal crime to even our lowest level felony is a step in the right direction,“ said District Attorney George Brauchler.
Josh Stewart, father of Liam, added, “We were shocked when we learned the driver who killed our son Liam, while he was riding his bike to middle school through a school zone, would face only a traffic misdemeanor. Fatal crashes are not random accidents; they are the result of bad decisions. Making careless driving that causes death a felony makes clear that Liam’s life mattered and that people must be held accountable for the harm they cause.”
SB25-281 would also require chemical testing when an officer has probable cause to believe that a person was driving carelessly and that those actions are the proximate cause of the death of another person.
