After years of holding steady or even declining, the number of people killed in Larimer County traffic-related incidents hit a record high in 2015, topping last year’s number by more than 54 percent, a Coloradoan analysis of local traffic deaths has found.

In 2014, 488 people died in vehicle-related crashes across Colorado. Preliminary data for 2015 show there have been at least 523 fatalities, a 16 percent jump over last year and nearly 30 percent rise from five years ago. There were more than 100 motorcycle deaths. Sam Cole, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, called the motorcycle crash figures “unprecedented.”

Last year’s finalized data from local, state and federal agencies likely won’t be available until later in 2016.

“It is too soon to speculate on the contributing factors or potential implications of any changes in deaths on our roadways,” the study’s authors wrote.See this story on www.coloradoan.com