Sen. Dylan Roberts Pushes Senate Bill 35 to Raise Colorado Point Penalties

Why is your neighbor’s license hanging by a thread after a simple speeding ticket?

That’s the immediate question facing drivers in Grand County. Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, has a bill that answers it. Senate Bill 35 passed the Colorado Senate on Wednesday, May 13. It heads to the governor now.

The short version: Roberts wants to make it harder to keep driving if you ignore the rules. The bill doubles the penalty for passing on a solid yellow line. It used to be four points. Now it’s eight. You get two speeding tickets in a year, you rack up two points. Five speeding tickets in five years? Eight points.

It adds up fast.

Grand County just had its deadliest year in a decade. Eleven people died on county roadways in 2025. Twenty-four others were seriously injured. That includes the family of five killed in August south of Kremmling. A Ford F-150 driver heading north drove into the southbound lane and hit them. Head-on.

Roberts didn’t invent this data. He’s been sitting in committee hearings watching it. “Every year, too many Coloradans are killed or seriously injured in crashes that are 100% preventable,” he said in February. Speeding. Dangerous passing. These aren’t accidents. They’re choices.

The bill doesn’t just target mountain roads. It targets the whole state’s point system. Drivers 21 and older lose their license after 12 points in a year. Under-21s? Even stricter. An 18-to-20-year-old can lose their license with just nine points. Teens under 18 face suspension at six points.

Roberts also wants to crack down on the speed demons. Hit 100 mph? You get a four-point penalty. No exceptions. Repeat speeders face higher point totals for their tickets. The goal is simple: make bad driving expensive. Make it costly enough that people pay attention.

Highway 40 between Steamboat Springs and Craig is a hotspot. Over 400 crashes recorded between 2021 and 2024. That stretch of pavement is a graveyard for commuters. The bill also directs the state transportation department to expand signage around passing zones. Less confusion. Fewer mistakes.

Colorado saw a slight increase in traffic deaths in 2025. 701 people killed. Up from 689 the year prior. The Colorado Department of Transportation confirms the trend. Grand County is just the sharpest spike.

Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, voted to pass the bill. She raised concerns during the process. She voted yes anyway. The final vote in the Senate was wide.

But here is what the press release won’t tell you.

The bill requires drivers with multiple speeding violations to appear in court. Not just pay the fine. Show up. Sit in a chair. Look a judge in the eye. It forces accountability. It removes the “pay and forget” culture that lets habitual offenders slip through the cracks.

The points system is the lever. Roberts is pulling it hard.

Grand County officials recorded the deaths. Roberts recorded the politics. The governor will sign it or veto it. The timeline is tight. The legislative session ended Wednesday. The window is closing.

This isn’t about punishing speeders. It’s about changing behavior. Eight points for passing on a double-yellow line. Four points for hitting 100 mph. It’s a message. Drive like you care, or lose your license.

The family of five south of Kremmling didn’t get a second chance. Their driver crossed the line. The bill ensures other drivers do the math before they cross it.

Watch the governor’s office. Watch the point totals. If you’re driving Highway 40 right now, check your record. You might be closer to the edge than you think.