Print this pageHighway and Traffic Safety

Contact: Vail Police Department, 970-479-2200

Every year, emergency service personnel handle hundreds of calls to accidents on the roads of Eagle County. Follow these tips for safe travel:
  • Don’t drive when visibility impairs your ability to see a safe distance in front of your vehicle. When fog, whiteout blizzard conditions, or driving rainstorms make it difficult to see where you are going, pull off the road and turn your emergency flashers on. Park the car, leave your seatbelt on and wait for the visibility to improve. If it’s not safe to drive, it’s not safe to get out and walk around.
  • Don’t assume that it's ok to speed or let your guard down once you see the road starting to level out as you come off a mountain pass such as Vail Pass. In particular, during rainstorms, water tends to collect at the bottom the road/ pass and potentially cause vehicles to hydroplane.
  • Avoid using your cell phone while driving.
  • Use the left lane of the interstate highway for passing only. If you are not in the process overtaking and passing a vehicle that is moving slower than you in the right hand lane, you should, by law, be in the right hand lane.
  • Do not drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and always assure that everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt.