(COLORADO) — While a majority of drivers may think it’s okay to go 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) recently responded to the misconception.

When troopers are asked, “How fast can I go over the speed limit before I get pulled over?” whether it be at social gatherings or in brief conversations, a response with the rhetorical question, “What is the posted speed limit?” is often given.

The most commonly violated traffic law, according to CSP, is speeding, and troopers said one of the reasons speed limits should be important to drivers, is because of how long it takes vehicles to stop, considering the distance they have to do so and the time it takes a driver to react and brake.

“Many motorists don’t consider the space they need to maintain around them when driving at high rates of speed. Two-car lengths is commonly practiced, but it is grossly deficient. A good rule of thumb is to have one car length per 10 mph traveled,” wrote CSP.

In 2023, troopers investigated 2,860 fatal and injury crashes in Colorado, where CSP said speeding was found to be the top contributing factor in 685 of those crashes, followed by lane violations at 632 and impaired driving at 588.

“Motorists need to remember that it is not the initial act of speeding that kills you; the sudden stop at the end does,” warned CSP. “The faster you travel, the more distance is traveled, and your potential for a serious injury or fatal crash increases.”

Last year, El Paso County came in at number two in the top five counties where the most fatalities occurred due to speeding. Number one was Adams County, followed by Mesa, Eagle, and Mineral counties rounding out the top five.

As for why else to obey the speed limit, troopers said this: “With so many people complaining about speeding and aggressive drivers, we all have contributed to the problem. If the average driver thinks it’s okay to go 5 mph or 10 mph above the speed limit, the risk-takers will go faster than that.”

CSP wrapped up and said, “So the answer is, the posted speed limit needs to be your top limit. Anything over the posted limit is speeding and subject to a potential citation.”

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