New Distracted Driving Warning- Truckers Face Fines Up to $2750

Distracted Driving Warning Targets Commercial Drivers

The Colorado State Patrol is warning commercial motor vehicle drivers about the serious penalties tied to distracted driving. The reminder follows hundreds of crashes involving commercial vehicles in Colorado last year.

According to Colorado State Patrol, troopers investigated 316 commercial motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving during 2025. Of those crashes, 60 resulted in injuries or deaths.

The number of distracted driving crashes involving commercial vehicles fell by 6.5% compared with 2024. However, state officials said the remaining crashes show the continued risks created by distractions behind the wheel.

Distracted Driving Crashes Remain a Concern

Most of the 316 crashes investigated by Colorado troopers caused property damage only. Still, approximately 19% involved an injury or death.

In a separate interview, Colorado State Trooper Gabriel Moltrer said the serious crashes included 36 injury crashes, 21 crashes involving serious bodily injury, and three fatal crashes.

The state’s figures cover crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. They do not mean a truck or bus driver was responsible for every crash. Colorado State Patrol noted that a commercial vehicle’s size and weight can increase the severity of a collision, even when its driver is not at fault.

“Trucking is an important and demanding job that requires focus,” Colorado State Patrol Chief Col. Matthew C. Packard said in the announcement.

Packard said long hours on the road make it important for professional drivers to remove distractions. He added that driving should not come second to another task inside the cab.

Distracted Driving Goes Beyond Texting

Cellphone use is one of the most recognized forms of distracted driving. However, Colorado State Patrol said distractions can also include eating, adjusting navigation equipment, or working with dispatch devices while driving.

Different activities create different types of distraction. Looking at a screen takes a driver’s eyes away from traffic. Reaching for an object removes a hand from the wheel. A conversation or message can also take attention away from changing road conditions.

These risks can be greater in a commercial vehicle because trucks require more time and distance to stop. Heavy loads, traffic, weather, and mountain roads can further reduce the time available to react.

Signs of distracted driving may include sudden braking, changing speeds, drifting between lanes, and failing to follow traffic signals. A driver looking down or repeatedly turning away from the road may also be distracted.

Federal Rules Limit Handheld Phone Use

Federal regulations have prohibited texting while driving a commercial vehicle since 2010. Restrictions on handheld mobile phone use followed in 2011.

Under 49 CFR Sections 392.80 and 392.82, commercial drivers may not text or use a handheld mobile phone while driving. Motor carriers also may not allow or require their drivers to engage in those activities.

For purposes of the federal rule, “driving” includes times when a commercial vehicle is temporarily stopped in traffic or at a traffic signal. A driver must pull safely to the side of the highway or leave the highway and stop before using a handheld phone.

An exception applies when phone use is necessary to communicate with law enforcement or emergency services.

The rules do not completely prohibit phone calls. A commercial driver may use a hands-free phone positioned close enough to operate while remaining seated and properly restrained.

According to FMCSA guidance, a compliant hands-free call must be started, answered, or ended by touching a single button. Voice dialing, speakerphone functions, and earpieces are allowed.

Holding a phone, pressing multiple buttons to dial, or reaching for a device in a way that moves the driver from the normal seated position can violate the rule.

Distracted Driving Penalties Can Affect a CDL

Colorado State Patrol said a commercial driver can face a fine of up to $2,750 for texting or using a handheld phone while driving. An employer that allows or requires the behavior can be fined up to $11,000.

Repeat violations may carry more serious consequences. Under federal driver disqualification regulations, two texting or handheld phone convictions from separate incidents within three years can result in a 60-day disqualification.

A third or later conviction within the same three-year period can result in a 120-day disqualification. These offenses are also treated as serious traffic violations.

Handheld phone violations can affect a motor carrier as well. FMCSA says they negatively affect the carrier’s Safety Measurement System results and carry the highest available severity weight.

The federal commercial vehicle requirements are separate from Colorado’s general hands-free law. Colorado’s statewide law took effect in January 2025, but its general provisions exclude CDL holders operating commercial vehicles. Those drivers remain covered by the stricter federal CMV rules.

Colorado Emphasizes Prevention Despite Lower Crash Total

The 6.5% annual decline offers some improvement in Colorado’s commercial vehicle crash figures. Still, the 60 crashes involving injury or death remain the main concern behind the state’s warning.

Colorado State Patrol is encouraging drivers to prepare navigation systems and dispatch information before moving. Phones should be mounted close to the driver and configured for hands-free operation.

The agency’s message also extends beyond phones. Food, paperwork, dispatch equipment, and other in-cab activities can reduce the attention available for traffic and road conditions.

For commercial drivers, a brief distraction can lead to a crash, a major fine, a negative safety record, or months without authority to operate a commercial vehicle.