Officers in Vail Pass, Colorado, have a clear message for truck drivers: chain up or pay up.
Under Colorado Law, all commercial trucks operating on Interstate 70 (between mileposts 133 to 259) must carry chains at all times from September 1st to May 31st.
The fines range from $67 for not carrying chains on I-70, to $1,157 for blocking a highway as a result of not chaining up.
With an elevation of over 10,000 feet in some areas, weather conditions can change in seconds in Colorado’s high country. A truck that gets stuck due to a lack of chains can create a dangerous situation in heavy winter weather.
On Wednesday, CBS-Denver new anchor Matt Kroschel accompanied Vail officers and witnessed several truck drivers receive citations within a few hours.
“Pretty much zero tolerance, you really need to have them this time of the year,” one officer said. “Once they lose traction they jackknife, they close down traffic here for what could be hours,” he added.
Last year, Gov. John Hickenlooper supported a bill that would require all drivers (not just truck drivers) to carry chains at all times, but the proposed law was ultimately shot down. Officials hope to pass a similar law in the near future.