New Colorado laws seek to curb truck crashes, noise complaints along I-70 and other roads 

Twin laws enacted by Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday could help reduce the number of truck-related crashes and noise complaints on busy stretches of mountain highways and other roads. 

The governor signed both bills outside the Georgetown Visitor Center mere feet away from the humming traffic of Interstate 70, which has been plagued by chronic crashes resulting in multi-hour standstills. 

One of the measures, Senate Bill 69, creates a permit system within the state transportation department to allow private businesses to sell and install tire chains to drivers along the interstate.

It also tightens the tire tread depth requirements for four-wheel drive vehicles, mandating that motorists have tires with a mountain-snowflake symbol or that are all-weather rated. Additionally, it requires rental car companies to notify drivers about the state’s traction laws. 

The measure is sponsored by Sens. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, as well as Reps. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, and Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs.

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Roberts, speaking during the bill signing ceremony, said the legislature is “starting to make some progress” when it comes to keeping I-70 open. 

Last year, the state passed a law that bars truckers from being in the left lanes of the interstate at certain key points, such as Glenwood Canyon and the west side of Vail Pass. This year’s bill takes an incentive-based approach rather than a punitive one. Roberts said it is modeled after similar successful programs in Washington, Oregon and California. 

“This is probably not the last bill we’ll do on commercial trucks. We’ll keep working on it,” he said. “No single bill’s going to solve the problem completely, but we’re taking a big step forward today.” 

Velasco said keeping I-70 open is a public safety issue and an economic issue, with state transit officials estimating that for every hour I-70 is closed, it creates a nearly $2 million economic impact. Her district includes Glenwood Canyon, which has seen a high rate of crashes and closures caused by speeding vehicles and truck collisions. 

“For us, we’re a mobile community,” she said. “We travel between Eagle and Garfield and Pitkin (counties) for recreation, for work, for school. We also welcome our visitors who enjoy our ski mountains. So it’s so, so important to have safe roads.” 

She added it’s also important that truckers have the tools in place to comply with state laws and acknowledged there are other solutions the industry has proposed that lawmakers could act on. The list includes more chain-up and chain-down sites and rest areas. 

The other measure signed on Thursday, House Bill 1039, raises fines from $500 to $1,000 for trucks not equipped with a muffler to reduce the noise of engine brakes, also known as jake brakes. 

The heightened fines, however, won’t go into effect until July 2027. Violators who install a muffler within 30 days of being issued a fine can also reduce their penalty from $1,000 to $500. 

HB 1039 is sponsored by Reps. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada, and Lesley Smith, D-Boulder, as well as Roberts and Catlin. Lawmakers say it comes in response to noise complaints they hear from constituents, particularly in mountain communities where narrow corridors exacerbate sound. 

“When those Jake brakes sound off, it’s just a ricochet,” Smith said. “I know this is going to bring peace of mind to people, and I’m really, really pleased that this passed.” 

Roberts thanked the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, the state’s trucking industry trade group, for supporting both bills, saying “they came to the table” and wanted to “be a part of the solution.”