386 Coloradans Arrested for DUI Over Halloween

From 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 through 3:00 a.m. Monday, Nov. 4, 386 DUI arrests were made.

“Last October saw the highest amount of alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities, which warranted extra effort on behalf of law enforcement to clear Colorado roadways of impaired drivers,” said Colonel Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Unfortunately hundreds of drivers got behind the wheel after drinking, and they are now dealing with the real-life nightmare of a DUI arrest, which can cost them their driving privileges and hefty fines, not to mention the safety risk they imposed on those around them.”

Preliminary reports show that the highest DUI arrests were in Aurora (53 arrests), Denver (52 arrests), Colorado Springs (29 arrests) and Adams County (28 arrests). Over the past few years, October proved to be a deadly month on Colorado roadways. Last year 24 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in the month of October, with six occurring over the days surrounding Halloween. While data is still being collected, it preliminarily shows that seven alcohol-related fatalities occurred this October, with no alcohol-related fatalities occurring over the Halloween weekend.

“We’re pleased that the preliminary data shows a decrease in alcohol-related fatalities in October this year, but there is still a lot of work to be done to reverse the trend of a high alcohol-related fatality rate in October,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. “We will continue to look at ways to educate the public on the dangers of driving impaired and work with law enforcement to ensure our roadways are safe.”

The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 12 specific DUI enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. More details about the campaign, including DUI enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips, can be found at HeatIsOnColorado.com.