Distracted, reckless and aggressive driving

Key points

1. Mental activities that take your mind off driving are just as dangerous as taking your eyes or hands away.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or your mind off driving present obvious driving risks. Mental activities that take your mind away from driving are just as dangerous.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 24

2. Drivers may not use any mobile electronic device unless hands free or in an emergency.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Drivers are not allowed to use any mobile electronic device while driving unless it is with a hands-free device or in an emergency situation.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 24

3. Pull off the road if you need to use your phone.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Pull off the road if you need to use your cell phone or other mobile electronic device.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 24

4. A reckless driving conviction can put up to eight points on your record.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “you can be charged under Colorado’s reckless driving statute and if convicted, up to eight points can be assessed against your driving record.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 25

5. An officer may see tailgating, passing on the shoulder or running a red light as aggressive if the act seems willful and endangers others.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “Acts such as tailgating another driver, passing on the shoulder or running a red light could be seen by a law enforcement officer as aggressive if the officer believes the action is willful and places others in danger.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 25

6. If another driver is angry, back off, give way and let the aggressive driver go.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “If the other driver is angry, back off, give way to the other driver and let the aggressive driver go.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 25

7. Dial *277 (*CSP) to report aggressive drivers.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “Dial *CSP (*277) to report aggressive drivers.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 25

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Colorado practice test

1. 1. Under Colorado's hands-free law in effect since January 1, 2025, when may a driver hold a phone to text while driving?

   1. Whenever the driver keeps one hand on the wheel
   2. Whenever traffic is moving below 25 mph
   3. Whenever the car is stopped at a red light
   4. Only to contact a public safety entity or during an emergency
   Show answer

   Only to contact a public safety entity or during an emergency. Since January 1, 2025, Colorado law bars every driver from using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle, and use includes holding the phone for a call or writing, sending, or reading texts. The exceptions are contacting a public safety entity, an emergency, and certain on duty workers and first responders. Slow traffic and a red light do not count as being lawfully parked, and keeping one hand on the wheel does not make handheld texting legal. A hands-free accessory, or pulling off to park, is the lawful way to handle messages.

2. 2. An angry driver is following you aggressively. What response does the handbook recommend?

   1. Match the driver's speed to prevent being passed
   2. Back off, give way, and let that driver go
   3. Make eye contact and confront the driver at the next stop
   4. Brake hard whenever the driver gets close
   Show answer

   Back off, give way, and let that driver go. The safest response to an aggressive driver is disengagement. Create space, yield the interaction, and allow the angry driver to move away instead of competing for position. Matching speed keeps the conflict active, while eye contact and confrontation can escalate a situation that is already unsafe. Do not retaliate with braking, gestures, or pursuit. Keep attention on the roadway, use ordinary defensive driving, and contact authorities only when you can do so without creating another distraction or hazard.

3. 3. While driving in Colorado, what should you do when a cell phone call or another urgent situation demands your attention?

   1. Ask a child in the vehicle to watch the road instead
   2. Handle the phone while moving if traffic is light
   3. Safely pull over before handling the distraction
   4. Increase speed so the task takes less time
   Show answer

   Safely pull over before handling the distraction. The handbook identifies distractions as a leading cause of driver error and specifically includes the cell phone among distractions to avoid. If a phone issue or another urgent situation demands attention, the safe response is to pull over safely before dealing with it. Light traffic does not make moving-phone use reliable, and neither a child passenger nor extra speed replaces the driver's attention. Make adjustments before leaving when possible, and use a safe stopping place for anything that cannot wait.

Source: the Colorado Driver Handbook, Careless/Reckless Driving. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.