The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies are partnering for a holiday DUI enforcement effort.
The "Heat Is On Holiday Parties" DUI enforcement period will begin Dec. 15 and run through Dec. 29. During this period, drivers may see sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional officers on duty.
As of Dec. 1, there have been 620 fatalities on Colorado roads. Thirty-six percent, or 221 crashes, involved an impaired driver. So far this year, there have been 15,040 DUI arrests in Colorado.
Authorities arrested 349 impaired drivers during last year's holiday DUI enforcement period.
“The holidays are a time for joyful memories with our friends, families, and communities, not mournful ones,” said Col. Matthew Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “With all the options available, driving impaired should be a 'thing of the past.' So for those unwilling to do the right thing and make a plan before the party begins, our enforcement periods are intended as a holiday gift: to help prevent unnecessary tragedy caused by you on the road.”
CDOT recently offered $10,000 in Uber ride credits as a way to stop impaired driving. The department will make an additional 200 Uber credits available Dec. 17 at Argonaut Wine and Liquor for in-store customers.
There will also be a DUI enforcement period for New Year's Eve Weekend, which will run Dec. 30 through Jan. 2.
