The city of Vail has voted in an ordinance that will charge truckers more than $2,600 in fines if they spin out on Interstate 70 without chains. 

The ordinance was voted in by the Vail, Colorado council members on Tuesday, March 18th. It implements a $2,650 fine for truck drivers who drive along I-70 without chains, spin out, and block the roadway while the chain laws are in effect. The ordinance also implements a $1,500 fine for passenger vehicles driving without chains while state chain laws are in effect. It is unclear when the new ordinance and fine schedule will go into effect. 

“It’s been a long time coming for this ordinance to come through and I think it’s an important one for the council to regain some control over what we can,” Chris Botkins, the operations commander with the Vail Police Department, said at the Tuesday meeting. 

“Clearly there’s not a deterrent significant enough for truckers to change their behavior [before the new fine amount],” Vail Mayor Travis Coggin said in an interview to Colorado Sun. “Our estimate is that 60% of truckers are not chained when there is clearly a chain law. People are going to complain about this but my response is, ‘If you don’t like the fine, don’t break the law.’”

Back in January, Coggin suggested a whopping $20,000 fine for truckers who wreck after not chaining up. The $2,650 is the maximum fine allowed by Colorado state law. 

“We are not being unreasonable. This needs to be addressed now. This needs to be a collaborative effort,” he said. 

According to a letter written by the Vail Town Council to Governor Polis last month, 2024 saw 99 full closures along Interstate 70. These closures shut down the interstate for a total of 161 hours at an estimated economic loss of $300 million. Colorado has recently upped their enforcement of chain laws along I-70.