Traffic Safety

The Brighton Police Department Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) uses a three-pronged approach to conduct strategic traffic enforcement.

• First, they thoroughly investigate all serious and fatal crashes to understand how and why they occurred. The locations with high crash volume are identified as a STEP (Strategic Traffic Enforcement Point). Some of the tools used by the TSU to analyze and investigate these crashes are:
  • Drone - DJI Matrice 300RTK
  • Scene Mapping - TopCon HiPer VR GNSS
  • Diagramming - Faro Zone 3D and Pix4D modeling
  • Vehicle Data - Bosch Crash Data Retrieval
• Second, they conduct strategic traffic enforcement in these areas in order to prevent future crashes. They also work in partnership with the City of Brighton Public Works department, including traffic engineers and the streets division, to determine when and where speed control or extra signage might be necessary.
• Third, the TSU provides public education, outreach and awareness surrounding traffic safety issues specific to Brighton. You will often find the TSU at city events under their bright yellow tent. They are happy to answer your questions and discuss your concerns!

What can residents do to keep themselves safe on Brighton roadways?

We encourage motorists to drive sober, put away their cell phones, wear their seatbelts and ensure that children are properly secured in car seats. Pedestrians should cross streets safely at crosswalks and wear bright or reflective clothing when it's dark. Motorcyclists are encouraged to wear helmets and must obey the rules of the road. Brighton Police Department wants everyone to arrive alive at their destination.

 The following information is provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Know the facts from CDOT:

• Colorado’s seat belt use rate is 86.3 percent — well below the national use average of 90 percent.
• In 2021, 232 unbuckled vehicle occupants were killed on Colorado roadways, a 12% increase over 2020.
• An estimated 70 lives could be saved every year if everyone in Colorado buckled up.
• Seat belts reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash by 50 percent.
• In 2018, five of the six counties with the lowest seat belt use in Colorado were rural.

Know the Colorado laws:

Adults — Colorado has a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers. Drivers can be ticketed for violating the seat belt law if they are stopped for another traffic violation.

Teens — Colorado’s Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) law requires all drivers under 18 and their passengers, regardless of their age, to wear seat belts. GDL is a primary enforcement, meaning teens can be pulled over solely for not wearing a seat belt or having passengers without seat belts.

Children — Colorado’s Child Passenger Safety law is a primary enforcement, meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child under age 16 in the vehicle.

Information about car seats:

The Brighton Police Department has a certified child passenger safety technician, Officer Kubic, who is passionate about car seat safety. If you would like a car seat inspection or have questions about car seat safety, contact Officer Kubic at mkubic@brightonco.gov or 303-655-2245. View the Colorado Child Passenger Safety Law.

Information for pedestrians:

• At intersections with traffic lights and pedestrian signals, it's important to follow the signals carefully. Locate and press the crosswalk button, wait until you see the WALK signal and follow the rules for crossing. Always stow your cellphone when crossing the street and keep your head up.
• A flashing DON’T WALK signal indicates you shouldn't start to cross the street. However, if you are in the middle of the street and the DON'T WALK signal starts flashing, continue walking; you have time to complete the crossing.
• If you see a steady DON'T WALK signal, don't begin to cross the street! Wait for the next WALK signal. The WALK signal and the green traffic light indicate that it's your turn to cross the street, but they do not mean it is safe to cross. The WALK signal and the green light mean: Look both ways, and then if it's safe, go. Make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you as you cross.
• At night, wear light colors and walk where the streetlights will illuminate you.

Information for motorcyclists:

• Always wear protective gear and a DOT-compliant helmet
• Get trained by finding a class at https://csp.colorado.gov/community-outreach/most-motorcycle-safety-training
• Get endorsed by your local DMV
• Always obey speed limits and other rules of the road

The TSU recently held a virtual community meeting highlighting the work that they do. View the video on Facebook and see the presentation here.