Colorado State Patrol troopers investigated 316 commercial motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving in 2025, the agency said Thursday.

CSP said that crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, whether the truck is at fault or not, often produce devastating high-fatality and severe injury outcomes because of the weight of the vehicles.

Of those crashes, 257 involved only property damage, while 60 or 19%, caused injury or death, according to a news release.

The overall number represented a 6.5% drop from 2024.

Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the State Patrol, said professional drivers must keep focus amid long hours on the road.

“Trucking is an important and demanding job that requires focus,” Packard said. “With the long hours professional drivers are on the road, they need to be proactive when it comes to removing distractions and ensuring that driving never comes second to any other task in the cab.”

Federal rules have required interstate commercial drivers to operate hands free since 2011.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration banned texting by commercial drivers in 2010 and extended the prohibition to all handheld devices the following year. The rules apply nationwide.

Drivers face fines of up to $2,750. Repeat offenses can result in the driver being disqualified or placed out of service for up to 120 days.

Employers can be fined up to $11,000 if they knowingly allow or require drivers to use hand-held devices while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists common indicators of distracted driving that include failure to maintain lane position, sudden swerving, inconsistent speed, sudden braking in normal traffic, running red lights or stop signs and a driver’s eyes not on the road.

Colorado’s hands-free law took effect Jan. 1, 2025, and prohibits most drivers from holding or using mobile electronic devices while driving. The state law does not apply to commercial vehicle operators, who are subject to federal rules.

Motorists who see clear signs of distraction in a commercial vehicle should maintain a safe distance, stay out of the truck’s large blind spots and, if the behavior appears to create an immediate hazard, report it to the Colorado State Patrol by calling *CSP, according to longstanding agency guidance on reporting dangerous driving.