Fatal crashes involving motor vehicles in Colorado have been on the rise since 2014, jumping 30.1 percent. The numbers are too high to be solely attributed to population growth, the Colorado Department of Transportation says.

So, what’s the cause? Individuals and the poor choices they make, CDOT said.

“It’s a pervasive problem in our state, and, frankly, it’s appalling,” Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard said Wednesday. “I don’t find it acceptable.”

In 2017, there were 587 fatal crashes resulting in 635 fatalities, which include drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists, according to CDOT data. In 2014, there were 451 fatal crashes resulting in 488 fatalities.

Packard and CDOT executive director Michael Lewis said the increase comes down to personal decisions made by drivers, whether that’s driving while impaired, not wearing a seat belt or driving while distracted.

The total number of fatal crashes that involved impairment and the percentage of total crashes that involved impairment have increased. CDOT did not provide separate figures for alcohol- or drug-related crashes.

There were 41 percent more impaired crashes in 2017, compared with 2014. In 2017, impaired crashes made up about 37 percent of all fatal crashes, compared with 34.2 percent in 2014. Notably, though, the percentage of impaired crashes in 2016 was 31.4 percent of the total number of fatal crashes.

CDOT found that 16 percent of Coloradans do not buckle up, which makes the state rank 36th in the country for seat-belt use. Unbelted deaths accounted for more than half of passenger vehicle fatalities in 2017.

“It’s not one intersection, not one mountain curve, not one pass, not one county,” Lewis said. “It’s virtually everywhere.”

Ten years ago, rural areas saw more fatal crashes than urban areas saw. But that has gradually switched, Lewis said. El Paso, Adams, Weld, Denver and Arapahoe counties had the most crashes and fatalities. He said that switch was probably a combined factor of population growth, more distractions from phones and more pedestrians who are similarly distracted.

He said CDOT is working on physical improvements, but there is no sweeping engineering fix — and even if there were, CDOT wouldn’t have the budget. For now, CDOT is focusing on educating the public. It’s also looking to make sure laws are in place to help reduce injuries and fatalities.

Packard added that state troopers will be making greater efforts to be visible on the streets, noting that public surveys show that spotting a patrol car acts as a deterrent to bad driving.

“I would caution anybody to think there is a single magic bullet to make this go away,” Lewis said. “We have to try to get across to people that are driving to make good decisions.”