A motorcycle rider heads north off Molas Pass between Durango and Silverton on Highway 550, the Million Dollar Highway in June 2025. (Hart Van Denburg/CPR News)
A motorcycle rider heads north off Molas Pass between Durango and Silverton on Highway 550, the Million Dollar Highway in June 2025. (Hart Van Denburg/CPR News)

That number is tied for the most during the same time period since 2017. CDOT believes the warm weather in the winter and spring has contributed to the spike in motorcycle deaths this year, since more riders were on the roads during typically cold months.

The jump is notable after a drop in motorcycle deaths in 2025. There were 148 motorcycle fatalities last year. That was down 11% from the previous year of 165.

“May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, which serves as a reminder as we are approaching the deadliest days of summer that everyone drives safely on the roadways,” said Tamara Rollison, CDOT spokesperson.

CDOT says warm weather could have contributed to a jump in traffic deaths at the tail end of 2025. Last year, overall traffic deaths were on a 7% decline in Colorado. But the state experienced its fourth-warmest fall ever recorded. And traffic fatalities jumped 70% compared with the same period in the previous year.

Officials say speed is the No. 1 contributing factor for motorcycle fatalities in Colorado.

“For motorcyclists when they’re speeding, that can cause them to lose control, to veer off the roadway, to crash into a fixed object,” Rollison said. “And since they don’t have a box of a car around them, their chances of getting killed in such a situation or very seriously injured is very, very high.”

And nearly half the motorcyclists killed in Colorado over the past five years were not wearing a helmet. Last year, 66 people died while not wearing a helmet. Alcohol has also played a role in speeding deaths.

Driver and Motorcycle safety tips for the summer from CDOT

Car and truck drivers need to use caution around motorcycles. Drivers and motorcyclists should keep these tips in mind to reduce crashes:– Observe all traffic laws and always obey the speed limit.– Always drive and ride sober. Even one drink can affect you.– Avoid distractions that take your eyes off the road, such as phones– Yield to motorcycles, especially while turning at intersections.– Wear high-visibility personal protective equipment, protective gear and DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets.

Lane filtering is legal; lane splitting is not

Drivers and motorcyclists are reminded that lane filtering is legal in Colorado. State lawmakers legalized the practice in 2024 to protect motorcyclists from rear-end crashes. It allows riders to pass between vehicles that are completely stopped on a roadway, like at a stoplight. Motorcyclists can make this move as long as they have enough room and do not exceed 15 miles per hour.

But lane splitting doesn’t fall under state law for lane filtering. The maneuver happens when a motorcyclist passes between moving cars.