As snow pounds Vail, local state senator touts passage of passenger vehicle traction law

With 3 inches of new snow on Vail Mountain overnight, a closure already atop Vail Pass on I-70, and steady snow coming down Wednesday morning, Colorado Senate Democrats chose a particularly good time to send out a press release on the so-called traction bill for passenger vehicles passing the Senate and heading to the governor’s desk.

HB19-1207, the Winter Conditions and Traction Control Requirements bill, was co-sponsored in the Senate by Vail Democrat Kerry Donovan and Carbondale Republican Bob Rankin. Avon Democrat Dylan Roberts sponsored the bill in the House, where it overwhelmingly passed in March.

RealVail.com produced an in-depth article on the traction bill for the Vail Daily after it passed the House by a 46-18 margin. It passed the Senate by a vote of 27-6.

Forecasters are calling for up to a foot of new snow by Thursday, and Colorado Department of Transportation officials are warning drivers to slow down and take precautions.

Here’s Wednesday’s Senate Democrat release on the traction bill:

State Senate Passes Senator Donovan’s Bipartisan Winter Driving Safety Bill

The Colorado State Senate recently voted 27-to-6 to pass HB19-1207, Winter Conditions and Traction Control Requirements, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Kerry Donovan (D-Vail) and Senator Bob Rankin (R-Carbondale) to update requirements for passenger motor vehicles to meet traction-control standards in winter conditions. 
 
“Up in the mountains, weather can change rapidly. The Eisenhower Pass and Vail Pass are some of the most treacherous stretches of interstate in the nation and we should all have the equipment to make that trip safely,” said Senator Donovan. “This bill will require all drivers to follow the same rules making I-70 safer and more efficient.”
 
Under current law, drivers are required to use certain traction-control equipment like chains or snow tires when road use is restricted due to winter storms. The bill allows for current technology and traction options, sets minimum standards for tires, and requires the traction equipment to be carried on I-70 between milepost 133 (Dotsero) and milepost 259 (Morrison) from September 1 through May 31 when icy or snow-packed conditions are present.

The Colorado House of Representatives voted 46-18 on March 11, 2019 to pass HB19-1207. For more information on this bill please visit: http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1207.