The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and statewide law enforcement agencies planned to ramp up DUI enforcement efforts Nov. 16-26, increasing patrols statewide.
The effort is part of CDOT’s The Heat Is On campaign to reduce the number of crashes caused by impaired drivers in Colorado. Last year, 110 law enforcement agencies arrested 617 impaired drivers during the same 10-day enforcement period, CDOT said in a news release.
Last November, there were 57 fatalities on Colorado roads, and 23 involved impaired drivers.
“We want Colorado residents and holiday guests to understand that impaired driving will not be tolerated,” said Darrell Lingk, director of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. “Whether riding along or driving for the holiday, we encourage everyone to wear their seat belts. Using a seat belt is your best defense against an impaired or distracted driver.”
CDOT recommends using public transportation to get home safely after drinking.
“State Patrol and local law officers will be sacrificing time with their families to track down impaired drivers during this enforcement period,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol.
The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 14 high-visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events.
