KOA Headlines
11 12 24 Colo State Patrol's Colonel Matthew Packard on observing the Move Over Law
But there's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with a bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. Remember FDIC. Welcome to where the 5 to 9 more than makes up for the 9 to 5. Where you check your worries the moment you walk in. For every day feels lucky. Even at night, welcome to the chance to savor every moment. Every time you're here. To old friends, new experiences, and great times. Welcome to where life moves at the speed of you. This is your time. This is your place. Welcome to Void Casino's. Welcome to where you want to be. Last week's death of a Golden Police Officer, Evan Dunn, now prompting a reminder of Colorado's importance of the move over law. All across the state seems that the message about how dangerous it is for law enforcement officers to stand along the highway and busy streets investigating their traffic crashes. Joining us now in the K away comment spirit of health hotline is the head of the Colorado state patrol. It's Colonel Matthew Packard. Colonel, I always appreciate you coming on with us this morning. I'll just stay from jump. I find it unbelievable that we have to continue to have this conversation about moving over for the safety of not only people on the road, but first responders dealing with people on the road. Is it hard for you to get your head around that we have to continue to have the same conversation over and over? Good morning, Marty and Gina. Yeah, mind-boggling is not a strong enough word. It is hard to understand why we continue to struggle with people obeying the law. It's very clear if there's flashing lights on the shoulder or in the road, then the law requires you to slow down or move over, and as we continue to prove lives are at stake when folks don't do that. Colonel Packard, when we look at the why, obviously it's really hard to pinpoint it, but do you think that some drivers disobey this law due to lack of knowledge or recklessness, maybe out of towners who are unaware of it? What would be the why of why this isn't followed? I think there's a lot of factors that go into it, I think, distracted driving or otherwise just inattentiveness continues to be a strong factor. We see that in our larger crash data through, you know, causal factors to people weaving or just not paying attention, whether it's they're distracted with their thoughts or looking at their phone or looking at something in their car, they're not giving themselves the opportunity to see what's in front of them, and sometimes that's a police officer or a tow operator or a CDOT worker, and they're out there trying to make the road safer for everybody. They're certainly reckless people, but this is just a matter of people doing their job behind the wheel and paying attention and giving people the space they need to do the job they're trying to do to keep you safe. Colonel, I don't want to put you on the spot, but do you happen to have the data of how many accidents are like this in fatalities with first responders because of people not pulling over or moving over to the side or to another part of the road? I can tell you that we've had 10 vehicles, just the state patrol this year alone has had 10 vehicles that were struck. We have, it's somewhere between 10 and 15 a year since 2020 for the Colorado State Patrol, where we've seen that happen. Weather is a frequent factor, which makes sense to me when we're out there investigating a lot more crashes when the roads are slick. We saw that, of course, last week, but it's actually a gap in data for us at the state patrol is working really hard to shore up, particularly in our state, about how often this happens and really trying to learn what the factors are involved. But the one that does rise to the top is certainly bad weather. Well, let's talk about the weather real quick. What are some other tips that drivers need to keep in mind as we'll start entering this winter driving season? You know, it's the same, same advice, slow down, keep your eyes up. I remember teaching my kids how to drive, and even when I learned how to drive, just acknowledging the fact when the roads are wet or worse yet when they're icy, that everything is going to take longer and things like all-wheel drive or full-wheel drive do great at getting you going. But there's nothing to help you stop in acknowledging that means you need to give the car in front of you more space, acknowledging that when you come up over a hill and see something that you don't expect, that the ability to keep your car going straight in and the lane is going to be challenging the faster you're going. So it's really important that you slow down to a safe speed for the conditions, but above all else, pay attention, keep your eyes up through that windshield and be aware of your surroundings. What are the rules and protocols that you train your officers or that jurisdictions train their officers regarding this when they're off to the side of the road? I'm sure there's plenty of them and things to try to keep them safe in the process too. Yeah, Marty, I really appreciate that question. We do something, it's the national work around the traffic incident management system. We call it TIMS, and it's a whole series of protocols that first responders will use when they're responding to incident and traffic about wherever we'll park our vehicles, the type of markings that are on our vehicles, the light packages that we're using, the clothes that the people that are out of their cars are wearing. You see obviously much more prevalent today. Certainly our troopers are wearing reflective and bright yellow colored clothing, and it's really a system that's designed, number one, to keep people safe, but also to make us efficient as we're managing these scenes that we know that if we're going to need to close a road or be out there exposed to active traffic, then we need to do that in a way that's safe. Number one, that we can be visible and then use vehicles or other traffic control devices to provide protection, but then also to move as efficiently and safely as you can to get the road back open. Obviously, the severity of an incident has bearing on how long it's going to take and the level of documentation, but know that certainly our state troopers and we work with our local partners in county sheriffs and police departments and the fire service and towers literally on a daily basis to further strengthen and implement tennis principles to keep us safe. Colonel Packard and wrapping up with you, the state patrol also released a press release earlier this week saying that November is the top month for animal related crashes in Colorado for last year. What can we do in order to try to prevent that in the future? Well, do you appreciate that too? You're going to hear a thing from me. Slow down. And really just being a speed limit, whatever that safe speed is, by not going over to speed limit, you're giving yourself more time to react and pay attention. And so in the context of animals, we really don't want you swerving. Bad things happen when you serve swerve, particularly in mountain roads or rural Colorado when you're on a two lane highway, but just keep your eyes up, give your opportunity to use that brake pedal, slow down, so give your opportunity to save the animal and your car and others by just going to speed limit and going a little bit slower, perhaps if the weather's bad. Head of the Colorado State Patrol, it's Colonel Matthew Packard. Always appreciate having you on. It's sad that we have to have you on again to remind people of doing the right thing and keeping officers like you safe, but we do appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you, both. And you can call me anytime to talk about moving over to saving lives. Thank you. Thank you. But there's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with the bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. Your FDIC. Get two pairs of glasses for $89. Fast at iClass World. Visit iClassWorld.com to schedule your exam online and for offer details.