Pledge to Plan Ahead or Risk a DUI this Holiday Season
Denver, CO – With gift shopping and holiday party planning in full swing, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies are asking Coloradans to pledge to “Plan Ahead” for a sober ride home this holiday season. Anyone who takes the Plan Ahead Pledge is eligible to win a FREE night out in Denver, including an overnight hotel stay, dinner for two and a town car for safe and sober transportation. Also, businesses that encourage their employees to be safe this holiday season can enter to win a free holiday lunch for their employees. All of the information can be found at www.PlanAheadColorado.com. The contests begin as the CSP and 71 local law enforcement agencies statewide increase DUI enforcement through New Year’s weekend.
“Give the gift of a safe holiday instead of facing the humiliation and expense of DUI arrest,” said Col. James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “You can still have a good time with friends and family, but take responsibility for yourself to be safe and line up a sober ride if you’re celebrating with alcohol. If you don’t plan ahead, that’s when bad situations arise and you can end up behind bars or worse.”
Coloradans can make the “Plan Ahead” pledge at www.PlanAheadColorado.com. The website also offers tools to avoid drinking and driving, including:
- Cab information and locations where people can get FREE cab vouchers
- Discounted hotel rates for individuals to “Plan Ahead”
- Public transportation information
- Overnight parking information
To support the Plan Ahead campaign, MillerCoors is offering free cab vouchers at certain restaurant and bar locations throughout the holidays. The Hyatt Regency Denver has donated a room and Yellow Cab is offering the town car for the Plan Ahead Pledge contest. RTD offers free rides on New Year’s providing a great option for people who are celebrating. All of these partners and many more can be found at www.PlanAheadColorado.com.
In addition, CDOT is reaching out to businesses across the state to help get the word to their employees to plan ahead. From now through December 17, any business that registers and uses the Plan Ahead Business Toolkit on www.PlanAheadColorado.com is eligible to win a free holiday lunch for up to 50 employees donated by Chipotle Mexican Grill. It’s another way businesses can partner with CDOT to support the Plan Ahead campaign and keep their employees safe.
“CDOT works with many partners on this Plan Ahead holiday campaign to show how much support is out there to help people make a safe choice,” said Pamela Hutton, governor’s representative for highway safety at the Colorado Department of Transportation. “Planning for a sober ride is what we should expect of ourselves, our friends and family.”
Last year, more than 1,600 drivers in Colorado were arrested for DUI from Thanksgiving to New Year’s during increased enforcement periods.
To view a list of agencies participating in increased DUI enforcement in December and through New Year’s weekend, click here.
For detailed information about arrests results by agency and current enforcement plans, visit www.HeatIsOnColorado.com.
