Colorado Band Featured in New Bilingual Impaired Driving PSA

The band is joining CDOT, and the Colorado State Patrol, in raising awareness among the state’s younger Hispanic drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Alcohol-related crashes are a serious problem in Colorado. Each year, more than 26,000 people are arrested for DUI, and over 150 people are killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes. According to a 2015 CDOT survey, 70 percent of males age 21-35 believe they are safe to drive after one to two drinks, yet one third of traffic fatalities in Colorado are alcohol related. “This false sense of security that you can have two or three drinks and still get behind the wheel of a vehicle needs to be challenged,” says Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Communications Manager at CDOT. “You are 400% more likely to crash when impaired.”

iZCALLi lead singer and guitarist, Miguel Aviña concurs, “We all like to live life fast and loud but you gotta stay in control... many people have destroyed their lives driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and if you don’t think it can happen to you, you’re wrong! Behind every drunk driving statistic is a person who was someone’s mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, aunt or uncle.” Aviña and the other members of the band feel strongly about this life-saving message and they are known for regularly engaging their audiences in don’t-drink-and-drive reminders at the conclusion of their shows.

In Colorado, Hispanics comprise over 21 percent of the state’s population with a median age of 27 compared to a median age of 40 for Non-Hispanic Whites. Fifty-three percent of the state’s Hispanic households speak some level of Spanish, with 47 percent speaking only English.

 To download the English version of the PSA, visit: https://vimeo.com/185347117