The Heat Is On for Sturgis Rally DUI Enforcement Enforcement begins Friday
As motorcyclists flock to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota, Colorado law enforcement agencies will be on patrol for impaired drivers and riders from Aug. 2-12. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local agencies will team up to conduct the Sturgis Rally DUI enforcement period to protect Coloradans from impaired drivers this summer. DUI enforcement periods are one of the many components of CDOT’s Whole System – Whole Safety initiative, which aims to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road to get all Coloradans home safely.
“Our goal is to keep everyone on Colorado’s roads safe,” said Shoshana Lew, CDOT Executive Director. “During the summer months, the number of motorcycles on the roads increases, especially for the Sturgis Rally. This enforcement period is meant to deter impaired riding and driving in August.”
In 2019, there have been 59 motorcycle fatalities on Colorado’s roadways, which represents 19 percent of all traffic fatalities this year. The goal of this enforcement period is to create increased awareness of the risks of impaired riding and driving.
“Whether someone is behind the wheel of a car or the handlebars of a motorcycle, they are putting themselves and others at risk by traveling impaired,” said Col. Matthew Packard, CSP Chief. “The Sturgis Rally is an annual celebration for motorcyclists and we encourage anyone who consumes alcohol along the way to refrain from riding impaired.”
As part this year’s The Heat Is On campaign, CDOT will again partner with BACtrack, a leading personal and professional breathalyzer company, to urge Coloradans to check their blood-alcohol content (BAC) to confirm they are sober before they drive or ride. Through the partnership, breathalyzers will be offered at a 50 percent discount for Colorado residents from July to September, or while supplies last. Residents can visit codot.bactrack.com to place an order.
For more information on CDOT’s efforts this summer, including impaired driving enforcement plans for each county, arrest totals and safety tips, visithttps://www.codot.gov/safety.
ABOUT THE HEAT IS ON
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 16 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. Find more details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips at HeatIsOnColorado.com.
WHOLE SYSTEM – WHOLE SAFETY
To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System – Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving safety conditions for those traveling by all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission - to get everyone home safely.
ABOUT CDOT
CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.
