Colorado State Patrol is reminding drivers their vehicles should be positioned in the center of its lane. Doing so helps to avoid costly and deadly collisions, it said.

Drivers should only leave the center position when avoiding obstacles or potential hazards, such as construction workers, parked cars and emergency responders, the agency said.

“Last year your Colorado State troopers investigated over 600 injury and fatal crashes that were found to be caused by someone traveling outside of their designated lane,” said Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew C. Packard in a news release. The Colorado State Patrol reported that it issued over 14,600 citations last year as the agency lowered its tolerance on the driving behavior. 

Colorado State Troopers are launching a yearlong campaign called “Stay in Your Lane.” The campaign is designed to remind people to control their lane position based on their current driving environment. It also aims to bring attention to three of the most common and avoidable behaviors that contribute to lane violations — driving aggressively, driving distracted and driving while impaired.

For more information about the Stay in Your Lane campaign and lane position, visit the “Stay in Your Lane” page at CSP.Colorado.gov.