Colorado Drivers Cited for Cellphone Use While Driving
During the first six months of Colorado’s new ban on drivers’ hand-held use of phones, law enforcement officers cited over 200 drivers for using cellphones while behind the wheel. The law, which went into effect at the beginning of 2025, prohibits using a cellphone while driving unless it is in a hands-free setup.
According to data from the Colorado Judicial Department, officers issued citations in 206 cases statewide between January 1 and June 30. The data also revealed racial disparities, with Black Coloradans accounting for almost 7% of hand-held phone use citations, despite making up only about 4% of the state’s population.
State Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, expressed concern about the disproportional representation and systemic bias evident in the data. The law passed with a compromise making handheld cellphone use a secondary offense, allowing officers to add the charge to other violations.
White drivers accounted for 79% of citations, while Hispanic drivers were underrepresented in the data. The enforcement of the law resulted in over $15,000 in fines, with Jefferson County having the highest number of citations.
The new law aims to crack down on distracted driving, with proponents like the Colorado State Patrol emphasizing traffic safety. While traffic crashes are trending down in the state, it is too early to determine the impact of the hand-held cellphone ban on these statistics.
For more crime news updates, sign up to receive daily email alerts.
