Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

Whether you are commuting across town, riding a group paceline, or navigating busy intersections, knowing the actual traffic code removes guesswork and establishes clear rights on the road.

Editor’s Note on Jurisdiction: While bicycling in Colorado is primarily governed by state law (Colorado Revised Statutes), home-rule municipalities like Fort Collins have the authority to enact local traffic codes and micromobility ordinances. The local municipal code references in this guide (Fort Collins Traffic Code / FCTC) apply specifically within Fort Collins city limits. Other Colorado cities and towns may have adopted different local ordinances, dismount zones, or intersection design standards.

Cycling regulations in Fort Collins combine the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) and the local Fort Collins Traffic Code (FCTC), which adopts the Colorado Model Traffic Code alongside local Fort Collins amendments (including FCTC § 1013 on bike lanes and Part 21, §§ 2101–2109 on bicycles and micromobility devices). Below is how the laws work in plain terms—separating explicit statutory commands from practical roadway geometry—followed by a verified, 100% exact verbatim statutory appendix.

Quick-Reference Summary

Scenario	Legal Rule	Legal Citation
Stop Signs	Slow to 10 mph or less, yield right-of-way, and roll through when clear (except at bike-specific signs)	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5(1)–(2)(a)
Red Lights	Full stop required; yield to all traffic/pedestrians, then proceed straight or right (or left onto a one-way) when safe	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5(2)(b)–(c)
3-Foot Passing Law	Drivers must allow at least 3 feet of separation (including mirrors) throughout the entire passing maneuver	C.R.S. § 42-4-1003(1)(b)
Crossing Center Line	Drivers may cross double yellow lines to pass a cyclist when safe and without interfering with other traffic	C.R.S. § 42-4-1005(4)(d)
Riding Two Abreast	Legal within a single lane, provided riders do not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(6) & FCTC § 2104
Taking the Full Lane	Permitted when a lane is too narrow to safely share side-by-side, or to avoid hazards	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)–(b)
Bike Lane Turns & Parking	Drivers must yield; obey markings (merge in dashed zones, turn across where required); no parking/driving in bike lanes	C.R.S. § 42-4-714, FCTC § 1013 & § 1204
Sidewalks & Crosswalks	Permitted unless prohibited by Dismount Zones/signs; yield to pedestrians and give audible alert	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(10) & FCTC § 2106
Hand Signals	Required 100 ft before turning, unless your hand is needed to control or operate the bike	C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(9)(a)–(b) & FCTC § 2105
Earphones / Audio	Colorado’s earphone ban applies to “motor vehicles,” not bicycles	C.R.S. § 42-4-1411(1)(a)–(b)
Night Visibility	White front light (500 ft), rear red light/reflector, and mandatory side visibility provisions required after dark	C.R.S. § 42-4-221(2)–(4) & FCTC § 2107
Vulnerable Road Users	12 license points (subject to administrative point-suspension process), mandatory restitution, and Class 1 misdemeanor for careless driving causing serious bodily injury	C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5 & C.R.S. § 42-2-127(5)(e.7)

The Plain-English Breakdown

1. The Colorado Safety Stop (Stop Signs & Red Lights)

• Stop Signs: Cyclists aged 15 and older do not have to unclip or put a foot down at standard stop signs. Slow to a reasonable speed of 10 mph or less, yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian or driver in or approaching the intersection who has priority, and proceed cautiously through when clear.

• Riders Under 15: The statute permits riders under 15 to perform the Safety Stop when “accompanied by an adult” (C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5(2)(a)(I)), though CDOT educational guidance recommends that the accompanying adult be a parent or legal guardian.

• Red Lights: You must come to a complete stop before entering the intersection. After stopping and yielding to all pedestrians and other traffic—including any oncoming driver turning left or right closely enough to pose a hazard (C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5(2)(b))—you may cautiously proceed straight through or make a right turn (unless a sign prohibits the turn). Under Subsection (2)(c), after stopping and yielding at a red light, you may make a left-hand turn only onto a one-way street.

• Bicycle-Specific Signals Exception: Under Subsection (1)(b), the Safety Stop does not apply to dedicated bicycle traffic signals or stop signs specifically directed at bicyclists. Those must be obeyed strictly as signaled.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5 (enacted under HB 22-1028, effective April 13, 2022).

2. The 3-Foot Passing Requirement & Crossing the Double Yellow

• The 3-Foot Buffer During Overtaking: When a driver overtakes a cyclist traveling in the same direction, the driver must maintain at least three feet of separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle (including side mirrors, trailers, or other projections) and the left side of the cyclist throughout the entire passing maneuver.

• Crossing Solid Yellow Lines: Colorado law explicitly exempts drivers from no-passing zone restrictions when overtaking a cyclist moving in the same direction, permitting the driver to cross a solid double yellow line when the pass can be made safely and without interfering with, impeding, or endangering other traffic lawfully using the road.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1003(1)(b) and C.R.S. § 42-4-1005(4)(d) (enacted under SB 09-148, effective August 5, 2009).

3. Riding Two Abreast & What “Impeding Traffic” Means

• What the Statute Explicitly Says: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(6) and FCTC § 2104, cyclists may ride two abreast (but no more than two abreast, except on paths or roadway sections set aside exclusively for bicycles). When riding two abreast on a laned roadway, riders must stay within a single lane and “shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”

• How the Law Works in Practice: Because Colorado law permits drivers to change lanes or cross a double yellow line when safe to pass a cyclist, a driver being briefly delayed behind two riders while waiting for a safe passing opportunity does not automatically establish that the cyclists are unlawfully impeding traffic. The bicycle statute does not specify a fixed number of delayed vehicles or a specific time limit (the often-cited “five-vehicle” rule appears in Colorado’s slow-moving vehicle pull-off statute for mountainous/two-lane highways, C.R.S. § 42-4-1101(3), rather than the bicycle statute). Whether riding two abreast violates the statute depends on the circumstances, including traffic conditions and whether overtaking drivers have a reasonable opportunity to pass safely.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(6)(a)–(b) (updated under SB 09-148, effective August 5, 2009) and Fort Collins Traffic Code § 2104.

4. Taking the Full Lane: Narrow Lanes & Safety Margins

• What the Statute Explicitly Says: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)(I), a cyclist riding slower than normal traffic is only required to ride toward the right side of the lane if the lane is “wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles… as judged safe by the bicyclist.” Furthermore, C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(b) explicitly states that a cyclist shall not be expected or required to ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway—including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, surface hazards, or narrow lanes—or to ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the roadway. Cyclists may also move left when preparing for a left turn or overtaking a slower vehicle.

• Illustrative Geometry: The statute does not prescribe a numeric lane-width threshold, because safe sharing depends on the width of the passing vehicle, road speed, and edge conditions. However, as a practical illustration, combining a 6.5-to-8-foot passenger vehicle or truck, the mandatory 3-foot passing buffer, and 3 to 4 feet of operating space and curb margin for a cyclist totals roughly 13 to 15 feet. Whenever a travel lane is too narrow for a driver to pass safely within the same lane while maintaining that 3-foot buffer, a cyclist may lawfully occupy the lane—including the center—so overtaking drivers change lanes to pass.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)–(b) (updated under SB 09-148, effective August 5, 2009).

5. Designated Bike Lanes: Yielding, Right Turns (Solid vs. Dashed Lines), and Parking Bans

• Drivers Must Yield in Bike Lanes: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-714 and FCTC § 1013, a driver must yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist or other authorized user in a bicycle lane at all times. If a driver fails to yield and their actions proximately cause a crash, state law classifies the violation as careless driving (C.R.S. § 42-4-1402).

• How Drivers Must Handle Right Turns (Solid vs. Dashed Striping): How a driver executes a right-hand turn across or into a bicycle lane depends entirely on the pavement striping approaching the intersection:

  1. The Solid Line Scenario (Turning Across the Bike Lane): Where the bicycle lane is marked by a continuous solid white line (or physical protection like bollards, curbs, or parking buffers) up to the intersection or driveway, drivers are prohibited from merging into the bike lane early to use it as an extended turn lane.

     • The Rule: The driver must remain in the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane, signal, check blind spots, yield the right-of-way to all through-cyclists in the bike lane, and turn across the solid bike lane only when it is completely clear of bicycle traffic.

  2. The Dashed Line Scenario (Merging Into the Bike Lane / Mixing Zone): Where the solid white bike lane stripe breaks into dashed lines (typically 50 to 100 feet before an intersection), traffic engineering has established a shared merge or “mixing” zone.

     • The Rule: A driver preparing to turn right must signal, check mirrors and blind spots, yield to all cyclists lawfully in the bike lane, and cautiously merge into the dashed bike lane zone before completing the turn. The driver must slot in behind any present cyclist rather than overtaking and cutting across them.

• Dedicated Right-Turn Lanes: When approaching an intersection with a dedicated motor vehicle right-turn lane, C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)(III) explicitly permits a through-cyclist to ride on the left-hand side of that dedicated right-turn lane even when continuing straight, preventing right-hook collisions.

• No Stopping, Standing, or Parking in Bike Lanes: Under Fort Collins Traffic Code § 1204, stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle in a designated bicycle lane is prohibited, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device.

• Citations & Dates: C.R.S. § 42-4-714 (enacted under SB 20-061, effective July 1, 2020); Fort Collins Traffic Code § 1013 (Ordinance No. 119, 2011); Fort Collins Traffic Code § 1204; C.R.S. § 42-4-901(1)(a); and C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)(III).

6. Sidewalks, Crosswalks, and Dismount Zones

• Where Sidewalk & Crosswalk Riding Is Permitted: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(10) and Fort Collins Traffic Code § 2106, cyclists may ride on sidewalks and across roadways in crosswalks unless prohibited by official traffic control devices or local ordinances.

• Fort Collins Dismount Zones: Fort Collins enforces signed Dismount Zones where riders must dismount and walk their bikes. In Downtown/Old Town, the dismount zone encompasses the core downtown pedestrian district—including College Avenue (from Olive Street to Jefferson/Cherry Street), Mountain Avenue (from Mason Street to Remington Street), Old Town Square, Oak Street Plaza, and adjacent downtown blocks of Linden, Walnut, Pine, LaPorte, Oak, and Olive Streets. Additional dismount zones are posted on the Colorado State University (CSU) Main Campus pedestrian plazas.

• Rights and Duties on Sidewalks & Crosswalks: When lawfully riding on a sidewalk or across a crosswalk, a cyclist has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances (C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(10)(c) & § 42-4-802). Drivers must yield to cyclists in crosswalks under the same legal standards that govern pedestrian right-of-way (which also means cyclists must obey pedestrian signals and not suddenly enter the path of a vehicle so closely that the driver cannot yield). Cyclists must always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, ride in a manner that is safe for pedestrians, and give an audible signal (bell or voice) before overtaking a pedestrian.

• Citation: C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(10)(a)–(c) and Fort Collins Traffic Code § 2106 (Part 21, Ordinance No. 082, 2019 & Ordinance No. 095, 2026).

7. Hand Signals & The “Control of the Bike” Exception

• The Rule: Cyclists must give a continuous hand and arm signal for at least the last 100 feet before turning and while stopped waiting to turn (C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(9)(a)). Under Subsection (9)(b), a cyclist may signal a right turn by extending the right hand and arm horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.

• The Safety Exception: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(9)(a), a hand and arm signal “need not be given continuously if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle.” Braking, steering through rough pavement, or maintaining control legally takes precedence over holding a hand off the handlebar.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(9)(a)–(b) (effective August 5, 2009) and Fort Collins Traffic Code § 2105.

8. Earphones, Earbuds, and Helmet Audio

• Applies to “Motor Vehicles,” Not Bicycles: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1411(1)(a), the statute reads: “No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing earphones.” Under Colorado’s statutory definitions (C.R.S. § 42-1-102(58)), bicycles and electrical-assisted bicycles are excluded from the definition of a “motor vehicle.” Because the legislature specified motor vehicle rather than vehicle, the statutory prohibition in § 42-4-1411 applies to motor vehicle drivers, not cyclists.

• Statutory Exclusions: Even for motor vehicle drivers, C.R.S. § 42-4-1411(1)(b) defines “earphones” as a head-attached device that “covers all of or a portion of the ears,” and explicitly excludes speakers built into protective headgear (helmets) as well as a device that covers all or part of only one ear and is connected to a wireless, handheld telephone. Open-ear devices that do not cover any portion of the ears also fall outside that definition.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1411(1)(a)–(b) (single-ear phone exemption enacted under HB 15-1207, effective March 26, 2015).

9. Night Lighting & Side-Visibility Requirements

• Mandatory Front Light, Rear Reflector, & Side Visibility: When riding between sunset and sunrise (or when visibility is under 1,000 feet as described in C.R.S. § 42-4-204), C.R.S. § 42-4-221(2)–(4) requires every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, EPAMD, or electric scooter to be equipped with:

  1. A front white lamp visible from at least 500 feet (Subsection (2)).

  2. A rear red reflector visible for 600 feet under low beams (Subsection (3)), alongside supplemental rear red lighting commonly utilized in practice.

  3. Mandatory Side Visibility (Subsection (4)): Reflective material of sufficient size and reflectivity to be visible from both sides for 600 feet under low beams or, in lieu of such reflective material, with a lighted lamp visible from both sides from at least 500 feet.

• Citation: C.R.S. § 42-4-221(2)–(4) and Fort Collins Traffic Code § 2107.

10. Vulnerable Road User Protections & License Point Assessment

• Enhanced Penalties for Careless Driving Causing Serious Bodily Injury: Under C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5, bicyclists, electrical-assisted bicyclists, electric scooter riders, and pedestrians are defined as Vulnerable Road Users. If a driver operates a motor vehicle carelessly (C.R.S. § 42-4-1402) and proximately causes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user, the driver commits a Class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense.

• License Point Assessment & Administrative Suspension: A conviction for careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user is assessed 12 license points under C.R.S. § 42-2-127(5)(e.7). Accumulating these points subjects the driver to the Colorado Department of Revenue (DMV) administrative point-suspension process. In addition, the court must order mandatory restitution, and may require the driver to complete a driver improvement course and perform up to 320 hours of useful public service.

• Citation & Date: C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5 & C.R.S. § 42-2-127(5)(e.7) (enacted under SB 19-175, effective July 1, 2019).

Statutory Appendix

1. C.R.S. § 42-4-1412.5(1) & (2)(a)–(c) — Safety Stop

(1)(b) This section does not apply to a low-speed conveyance operator or pedestrian approaching an intersection with a stop sign or an illuminated red traffic control signal if the traffic control device specifically directs a pedestrian or a person operating a low-speed conveyance.

(2)(a)(I) A person fifteen years of age or older or a person under fifteen years of age who is accompanied by an adult and who is operating a low-speed conveyance and approaching an intersection with a stop sign shall slow down to a reasonable speed and yield the right-of-way to any traffic or pedestrian in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across or within the intersection; except that, if the person is involved in a collision with a pedestrian in a crosswalk or a vehicle in the intersection after driving past a stop sign without stopping, the collision is deemed prima facie evidence of the person’s failure to yield the right-of-way. After the pedestrian or person operating a low-speed conveyance has slowed to a reasonable speed and yielded the right-of-way if required, the pedestrian or person operating a low-speed conveyance may cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping.

(2)(a)(II) For purposes of this subsection (2)(a), a reasonable speed is ten miles per hour or less. A municipality, by ordinance, or a county, by resolution, may raise the maximum reasonable speed to twenty miles per hour if the municipality or county also posts signs at the intersection stating that higher speed limitation.

(2)(b) A person fifteen years of age or older or a person under fifteen years of age who is accompanied by an adult and who is operating a low-speed conveyance and approaching an intersection with an illuminated red traffic control signal shall stop before entering the intersection and shall yield to all other traffic and pedestrians. Once the person has yielded, the person may cautiously proceed in the same direction through the intersection or cautiously make a right-hand turn; except that the person shall not proceed through the intersection or make a right-hand turn if another vehicle is turning or preparing to turn right or left from a roadway and is approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across or within the intersection or if a traffic control device prohibits the turn.

(2)(c) When an illuminated red traffic control signal is present, a person fifteen years of age or older or a person under fifteen years of age who is accompanied by an adult and who is operating a low-speed conveyance may cautiously make a left-hand turn onto a one-way roadway only if the person has stopped and yielded to other traffic and pedestrians as required by subsection (2)(b) of this section and a traffic control device does not prohibit the turn.

2. C.R.S. § 42-4-1003(1)(b) — Overtaking a Bicyclist on the Left

(1)(b) The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction shall allow the bicyclist at least a three-foot separation between the right side of the driver’s vehicle, including all mirrors or other projections, and the left side of the bicyclist at all times.

3. C.R.S. § 42-4-1005(4)(d) — Exemption to No-Passing Zones When Passing a Bicyclist

(4) The provisions of this section and section 42-4-1001 shall not apply: … (d) To the driver of a vehicle passing a bicyclist moving the same direction and in the same lane when such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with, impeding, or endangering other traffic lawfully using the highway.

4. C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(6)(a)–(b) — Riding Two Abreast

(6)(a) Persons riding bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

(6)(b) Persons riding bicycles or electrical assisted bicycles two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

5. C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(5)(a)–(b) — Lane Positioning & Narrow Lane Exceptions

(5)(a) Any person operating a bicycle or an electrical assisted bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride in the right-hand lane, subject to the following conditions:

(I) If the right-hand lane then available for traffic is wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles, a bicyclist shall ride far enough to the right as judged safe by the bicyclist to facilitate the movement of such overtaking vehicles unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so.

(II) A bicyclist may use a lane other than the right-hand lane when: (A) Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; (B) Overtaking a slower vehicle; or (C) Taking reasonably necessary precautions to avoid hazards or road conditions.

(III) Upon approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right-turn lane, a bicyclist may ride on the left-hand side of such dedicated lane, even if the bicyclist does not intend to turn right.

(5)(b) A bicyclist shall not be expected or required to:

(I) Ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway, including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow lanes; or

(II) Ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the roadway.

6. C.R.S. § 42-4-714(1)–(2) & C.R.S. § 42-4-901(1)(a) — Bicycle Lanes & Right Turns

C.R.S. § 42-4-714(1) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist or other authorized user of a bicycle lane in a bicycle lane.

C.R.S. § 42-4-714(2)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2)(b) of this section, any person who violates subsection (1) of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

C.R.S. § 42-4-714(2)(b)(I) If a person violates subsection (1) of this section and the person’s actions are the proximate cause of a crash, the person commits careless driving and shall be punished as described in section 42-4-1402(2)(a).

C.R.S. § 42-4-901(1)(a) Right turns. Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

7. C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(10)(a)–(c) — Sidewalks and Crosswalks

(10)(a) A person riding a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or electric scooter upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian. A person riding a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or electric scooter in a crosswalk shall do so in a manner that is safe for pedestrians.

(10)(b) A person shall not ride a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or electric scooter upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk where such use of bicycles, electrical assisted bicycles, or electric scooters is prohibited by official traffic control devices or local ordinances.

(10)(c) A person riding or walking a bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or electric scooter upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances, including, but not limited to, the rights and duties granted in section 42-4-802.

8. C.R.S. § 42-4-1412(9)(a)–(b) — Hand Signals & Control Exemption

(9) A person operating a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle shall give the hand and arm signals required in section 42-4-903(4); except that:

(a) A signal of intention to turn right or left when required shall be given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled by the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle before turning and shall be given while the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle is stopped waiting to turn; except that a signal by hand and arm need not be given continuously if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle; and

(b) A person operating a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle may give a required right-turn signal by extending the right hand and arm horizontally and to the right side of the bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle.

9. C.R.S. § 42-4-1411(1)(a)–(b) — Use of Earphones

(1)(a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing earphones.

(1)(b) For purposes of this subsection (1), “earphones” includes any headset, radio, tape player, or other similar device which provides the listener with radio programs, music, or other recorded information through a device attached to the head and which covers all of or a portion of the ears. “earphones” does not include speakers or other listening devices that are built into protective headgear or a device or portion of a device that only covers all or a portion of one ear and that is connected to a wireless, handheld telephone.

10. C.R.S. § 42-4-221(2)–(4) — Bicycle Lighting & Reflector Requirements

(2) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or electric scooter in use at the times described in section 42-4-204 shall be equipped with a lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front.

(3) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or electric scooter shall be equipped with a red reflector of a type approved by the department, which shall be visible for six hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.

(4) Every bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or electric scooter when in use at the times described in section 42-4-204 shall be equipped with reflective material of sufficient size and reflectivity to be visible from both sides for six hundred feet when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle or, in lieu of such reflective material, with a lighted lamp visible from both sides from a distance of at least five hundred feet. A lighted lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.

11. C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5(2)–(3) & C.R.S. § 42-2-127(5)(e.7) — Vulnerable Road Users & Point Assessment

C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5(2) A person who drives a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and use of the streets and highways and all other attendant circumstances, and the person’s actions are the proximate cause of serious bodily injury, as defined in section 18-1-901(3)(p), to a vulnerable road user commits careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user.

C.R.S. § 42-4-1402.5(3) Careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense. In addition to the penalties imposed in section 42-4-1701(3)(a)(II), the court may order the offender to: (a) Attend a driver improvement course in accordance with section 42-4-1717; and (b) Perform useful public service for a number of hours, which must not exceed three hundred twenty hours, to be determined by the court in accordance with section 18-1.3-507. (c) In addition, the court shall order the offender to pay restitution in accordance with part 6 of article 1.3 of title 18.

C.R.S. § 42-2-127(5)(e.7) Careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user under section 42-4-1402.5 ………… 12 points