End Hit and Run Loophole

Why House Bill 1084 Matters

Summary
House Bill 1084 will increase the penalty for leaving the scene of a serious bodily injury crash from a class 5 felony to a class 4 making it equivalent to drunk driving.

End the Incentive to Flee
Current Colorado law gives drunk drivers, especially repeat offenders, an incentive to not stop at the scene of a crash and call for help of injured people. Instead, current law rewards drunk drivers with a lesser penalty for fleeing the scene and trying to hide out until they are sober. The consequence of this loophole may be life or death for someone needing immediate medical attention at the scene of a crash.

Protecting Bicyclists
Hit-and-run crashes disproportionally affect children and adults who walk or ride bicycles. Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are four times more likely to be the result of a hit and run than other roadway crashes.

Stop Drunk Driving Loophole
Drivers over the legal alcohol limit were involved in 32% of all Colorado traffic fatalities in 2008. This death rate is far to high and this bill will give law enforcement a better tool to help save lives.

Send a Message to "Stop and Call for Help"
Major media outlets have been running stories for years educating the public about this loophole. We need to close this loophole and send out a strong message that you must stop and call for help.

Bill Sponsors

House of Representatives
Sponsors: Rep. Kathleen Conti and Rep. Rhonda Fields

Senate
Sponsors: Sen. Steve King and Sen. Cheri Jahn

Path of the Bill

The bill must pass a committee in both the House and Senate as well as floor votes in each chamber. Here is our chart to track each vote on the way.

 Want to learn more about the process? Here is a link to a great chart explaining bills in Colorado. (PDF)

In the News

Denver Post 2/16/2012 Colorado fix to hit-and-run law so sensible, yet so hard to fund
Channel 7 News 2/16/2012 House Committee OKs Tougher Penalties For Hit & Run Drivers
5280 Magazine 2/8/12 Get Involved: A Hit-and-Run Is Punished Less Harshly Than a DUI?
Boulder Daily Camera 1/6/12 Bolster hit-and-run laws
Denver Post 5/25/11 Editorial: End incentive for fleeing scene of a bad accident
Denver Post 12/26/10 Colorado laws may make it wise for drunk drivers to flee the scene of a crash

How You Can Help

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Bill Tracking

The most recent version of bills including any amendments, committee reports, and recorded votes is available at the Colorado General Assembly Website.

When you go to the link above just enter 1084 into the search box. Each link across the page tracks the history of the bill.