New CDOT Campaign Provides Financial Incentive to Avoid a DUI
STATEWIDE—If you've considered owning a personal breathalyzer to avoid a DUI, now's your chance to purchase one at a huge discount, thanks to a joint partnership between CDOT and BACtrack, a leading personal breathalyzer company.
As part of its 2018 The Heat Is On campaign, CDOT is launching a new program to incentivize the purchase of breathalyzers in Colorado. Through the partnership, breathalyzers will be offered at an unprecedented 50 percent discount for Colorado residents until Sept. 15, or while supplies last.
Colorado residents can visit codot.bactrack.com to purchase either the BACtrack® Mobile™ Pro or the BACtrack® Trace™ Pro for $49.99, plus $7 shipping and handling. Once an order is placed, the breathalyzer will be delivered within five business days.
"Breathalyzers provide real-time data that helps people understand their blood-alcohol content so they can make informed decisions about driving," said Sam Cole, CDOT communications manager. "There is often a significant difference between how you feel and how impaired you actually are. Breathalyzers help eliminate that uncertainty, ultimately saving lives by removing impaired drivers from the road."
Earlier today, CDOT hosted a yoga class as part of a promotional video to launch the "Coloradans Blow Before Driving" campaign. Following a few hard ciders, the yoga class attendees checked their BACs after it was revealed the focus of the "breathworks" class was really about breathalyzers instead of balance. Participants learned how to properly use the breathalyzers and the importance of waiting 15 minutes after their last drink for an accurate BAC reading.
Coloradans have maybe seen billboards across the state showing a variety of people who "blow before driving." This is part of a statewide advertising campaign also consisting of Pandora Radio ads, digital ads, social media outreach and outreach to social media influencers, as well as in more than 500 bars and restaurants with jukebox ads and coasters. Using location-specific call-outs, the campaign aims to show that no matter who you are and what you do, if you consume alcohol, a breathalyzer is an excellent companion to make informed decisions.
CDOT and BACtrack aim to increase awareness that breathalyzers should be used in any drinking setting, whether at a Rockies game or in your own backyard. The goal is to normalize the act of checking your blood alcohol content (BAC) before deciding to drive.
"We couldn't be more excited to continue this partnership with CDOT to make breathalyzers more accessible to Coloradans," said Keith Nothacker, founder and CEO of BACtrack. "This exclusive discount is made possible because of CDOT and BACtrack's shared values: safety, building awareness about alcohol consumption and impaired driving, and providing resources to make responsible decisions."
CDOT's 2018 breathalyzer campaign builds on the agency's partnership with BACtrack. In 2016, CDOT recruited 225 Coloradans to use a breathalyzer and complete surveys about their drinking habits. At the end of the program, 84 percent of participants agreed that owning a smartphone breathalyzer lowered their risk for a DUI or DWAI.
Last year, CDOT and BACtrack partnered again on a similar program—this time recruiting first-time DUI offenders, offering them a free BACtrack breathalyzer in exchange for feedback on how the device impacted their decisions related to drinking and driving. Following that program, 94 percent of participants agreed that everyone who regularly drinks should own a personal breathalyzer.
Each year in Colorado, more than 20,000 people are arrested for DUI. Last month alone, there were 22 fatalities on Colorado's roads that involved an impaired driver. CDOT's goal this year is to make breathalyzers accessible to as many Coloradans as possible. This is why the agency is working with BACtrack to heavily discount the price, offering $50 off the devices which normally retail for $99.
"Whether you're enjoying a beer at a concert, having cocktails at brunch or tossing a few back at your company picnic, it only takes one or two drinks to be over the legal limit," said Cole. "Using breathalyzers is something we should be thinking about no matter when and where we are drinking.
CDOT is also bringing breathalyzer street teams to statewide events and bars throughout the summer to provide those interested a chance to test the devices for themselves. Many will be surprised to learn they are over Colorado's DUI limit of 0.08 percent, or the DWAI limit of 0.05 percent, after only one or two drinks.
The campaign and discount will also be active during CDOT's upcoming The Heat Is On high-visibility DUI enforcement periods. Law enforcement will be on heightened patrols during the Sturgis Rally from Aug. 3-13, and again for the Labor Day Crackdown beginning Aug. 17, running through Sept. 4.
CDOT's partnership with BACtrack is the first of its kind in the country between a breathalyzer company and state department of transportation. This program is also supported by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. The Foundation brings more than 25 years of leadership in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking.
Smartphone breathalyzers are a tool to help drinkers make better decisions, but CDOT recommends always having a safe ride planned before you start drinking. To learn more, visit HeatIsOnColorado.com.
