The Colorado Senate Looks To Toughen Traction Law

A new, strict winter traction law passes a Colorado Senate committee.

If it becomes law, the new regulation would take the current CDOT Traction Law to a whole another level. House Bill 1207 would require all vehicles traveling on I-70 between Morrison or MM259 to Dotsero at MM 133 to have suitable tires or additional traction gear for the entire season from September 1st through May 31st.

The efforts to tighten the traction laws have been tried several times without success. The previous bills were held up over enforcement issues. This new bill would require vehicles to have tire tread that’s at least 3⁄16 of an inch deep, or chains in the vehicle. The current Colorado Traction Law states that "motorists must have either snow tires, tires with the mud/snow designation, or a four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicle. All tires must have a minimum one-eighth inch tread. You can also install chains or an alternative traction device to be in compliance with the law if your tires aren't adequate."

If House Bill 1207 becomes law, it will come with stiffer penalties as well. Being caught in violation of new law would be a Class B traffic infraction that comes with a $100 fine. If your violation causes a closure of just one lane of traffic, the fine jumps to $500!

Credit: Out There Colorado