Colorado requires drivers to be responsible even as automation technology advances in vehicles

While our communities haven’t quite reached "The Jetsons" era, technology continues to advance and become increasingly more integrated into our daily lives.

Common devices now track a person’s heart rate, monitor their sleep, share their geographic location, and can even detect a car crash and automatically call 911. Innovation has also brought autonomous or self-driven vehicles to Colorado roadways. So, what happens if a driver is using these features and breaks a traffic law or crashes?

As these technologies become more common, the Colorado State Patrol wants to remind motorists that even when a vehicle is equipped with an automated driving system or features, the driver remains legally responsible for the vehicle's safe operation. Drivers will still be cited for traffic violations and held responsible in the event of a crash — even when automation features are engaged.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) developed the “6 Levels of Automation,” and Colorado Senate Bill 17-13 authorized the use of autonomous driving systems in Colorado under certain conditions. For Colorado, drivers are expected to remain capable of taking control of a vehicle. That means that if the driver failed to take over control when required, ignored alerts or was distracted, they would be held responsible.

Impairment and autonomous vehicles

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) has begun collecting data to track crashes where impairment was suspected. “Suspected impairment” includes cases where a driver:

• Refused testing for alcohol or drugs.
• Was suspected of being under the influence of marijuana.
• Submitted to a blood draw or breath test as part of a DUI investigation.

While this data is not considered comprehensive or complete, DOR has a record of 11 crashes involving automated vehicles that included suspected impairment from 2021 to 2024, and in partial months of 2025.

Troopers want to emphasize that even when a vehicle is operating in an automated mode, impairment laws still apply to motorists. Drivers must remain attentive and capable of taking control of the vehicle at any time. Impairment — whether alcohol, drugs or a combination — significantly reduces a driver’s ability to respond appropriately if the vehicle disengages or encounters conditions it cannot safely navigate.

Technology is a tool, not a substitute

Automated driving systems are designed to assist drivers, but they are not a replacement for responsible decision-making. Weather conditions, roadway design, construction zones and unexpected hazards still require human judgment and intervention.

As vehicle technology continues to advance, public safety remains the priority. Drivers are encouraged to:

• Understand the capabilities and limitations of their vehicle’s automated systems.
• Remain alert and prepared to take control at all times.
• Never operate a vehicle, including one with autonomous features, while impaired.

Innovation is transforming transportation, but accountability has not changed. In Colorado, the driver remains responsible.

Colorado Senate Bill 17-13

In 2017, Senate Bill 17-13 authorized the use of autonomous driving systems in Colorado under certain conditions:

• Levels of automation 0-3 are legal under Colorado law as long as a human driver is present in the vehicle.
• Levels of automation 4-5 are legal under Colorado law, with or without a human driver, if they can meet all applicable state and federal laws.
• If the automated driving system (ADS) cannot comply with all state and federal laws, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Patrol are responsible for approving its operation in the state of Colorado.
• No Colorado state agency or local jurisdiction may set policy or regulations for an ADS that are different from the standards set for a human driver.

The most significant takeaway from Senate Bill 17-13 is that Colorado permits driverless cars on its roadways so long as they can comply with state and federal laws.