Colorado drivers who use the left lane to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone and who have multiple speeding violations could face harsher penalties under a bill introduced in the state legislature. 

Senate Bill 35 would increase the points issued against a driver’s license from four points to eight points for passing on a solid yellow or double-solid yellow line. It would also require drivers who have multiple speeding violations within a one-, two-, or five-year period to settle their ticket in court.

The measure is sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, whose High Country district has seen an increase in car crashes in recent years. 

“Too many Colorado families have experienced completely preventable tragedies on our roads,” Roberts said in a statement announcing the bill on Tuesday. “We’re seeing an alarming rise in dangerous passing and excessive speeding, particularly on rural highways throughout my senate district and beyond, where a single reckless decision can have deadly consequences. This bill is about changing behavior, improving awareness, and saving lives.”

In Grand County, officials said 2025 was the deadliest year in a decade for county roadways, with 11 deaths and 24 people with serious injuries due to car collisions. That included a family of five who were killed in August in a head-on collision south of Kremmling. 

Officials, broadly speaking, pointed to factors like speeding, vehicles crossing center lines and heavy seasonal traffic on narrow or winding stretches of highway as reasons behind the increase in collisions. 

In Routt and Moffat counties, crashes remain prevalent on Highway 40, a major corridor for commuters between Steamboat Springs and Craig, which saw over 400 crashes from 2021-2024. While officials say nearly half of car crashes are animal-caused, they also attribute collisions to speeding, lane violations and impaired or inattentive driving. 

Crashes also continue to plague Interstate 70, leading to frequent closures in mountain communities. 

Colorado overall saw a slight increase in traffic deaths in 2025, with 701 people killed on roadways, up from 689 the year prior, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. 

Along with requiring a court appearance, Roberts’ bill would increase point violations for repeat speeding violations. 

Drivers who face two violations within one year would receive two points on their licenses. They would face four points for three or more violations in a two-year period, and eight points for five or more violations within a five-year period. 

SB 35 also directs CDOT to expand signage around designated passing zones in a bid to reduce confusion and increase driver awareness. 

Roberts has championed past legislative measures to improve road safety, especially along mountain corridors. He sponsored bills in 2025 and 2024 that created a tire chain assistance program for truckers along I-70 and prevented truckers from using the left lane to pass vehicles in certain high-risk areas of the interstate.

SB 35 has been assigned to the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee and is awaiting a hearing.