The Heat Is On Resumes with Holiday Party DUI Enforcement

STATEWIDE — As the leftover turkey is finally gobbled, for many it’s time for eggnog, craft beer, champagne and other holiday party libations – so it’s time for another The Heat Is On statewide DUI enforcement period. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and 80 local law enforcement agencies are again teaming up to run the second of three holiday-related enforcement periods.

The Holiday Party DUI enforcement starts today, Dec. 4, and continues until Monday, Dec. 14. Colorado’s dedicated police officers will saturate the roadways and arrest impaired drivers throughout the state — all to ensure roads are as safe for individuals and families going to and from holiday celebrations.

“Winter weather should be the only hazard drivers contend with this holiday season,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of the CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety. “Unfortunately, during last year’s 10-day Holiday Party enforcement period, there were four alcohol-related fatalities, and CSP and local law enforcement agencies made 645 arrests. Our goal is always to reduce those numbers.”

Just recently, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, there were a total of 269 arrests for drunk driving statewide, with the Denver Police Department (23), Aurora Police Department (28) and Colorado Springs Police Department (17) citing the most arrests. In addition, CSP cited 69 DUI arrests statewide.

“Many of us travel during the holidays, so it is more important than ever to keep impaired drivers off of Colorado’s roadways,” said Col. Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “We will continue to enforce Colorado’s DUI laws aggressively throughout the two remaining The Heat Is On enforcement periods this year and beyond. If you choose to drink, make sure you have a designated sober driver, or plan to use alternative transportation.”

The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 12 specific high visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. More details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips can be found at HeatIsOnColorado.com.