Winter Blitz DUI Enforcement Kicks Off Friday
The weather may be cold, but The Heat Is On for Colorado impaired drivers. To ensure the safety of all winter drivers and passengers, Colorado law enforcement agencies will be boosting DUI enforcement with increased officers on duty and saturation patrols. From Friday Jan. 18 through Jan. 28, law enforcement agencies will dedicate additional resources to apprehending drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol, cannabis or other drugs.
In coordination with Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and statewide law agencies, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will amplify enforcement as part of CDOT’s The Heat Is On campaign. The Winter Blitz enforcement is the first of 15 specified enforcement periods held in Colorado throughout the year. Officers arrested 608 impaired drivers during the Winter Blitz enforcement last year.
“Right now, Coloradans are enjoying their favorite winter sports and activities,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. “Our goal is to help all road users stay safe from those who choose to drive impaired and put everyone at risk.”
During the final enforcement period of 2018, more than 100 law enforcement agencies participated in the 2018 New Year’s Eve enforcement campaign, arresting 332 drivers for DUI. The Colorado Springs Police Department (24 arrests) and Denver Police Department (24 arrests) recorded the highest arrest totals. CSP arrested an additional 60 DUI offenders across the state. Comprehensive results from all participating agencies can be found at bit.ly/CDOT-HIO. Arrest data can be sorted by law enforcement agency, county and enforcement period.
During the 14 The Heat Is On DUI enforcement periods in 2018, law enforcement arrested 9,687 drivers for DUI. This number is down slightly from the 10,271 arrests made in 2017. Over the course of the 185 heightened enforcement days, an average of 52 DUI arrests were made each day.
Preliminary data shows 216 people died in impaired-related crashes on Colorado roads in 2018, which includes alcohol and other drugs.
“We strive to keep impaired drivers off Colorado roadways throughout the year,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of CSP. “These enforcement periods are meant to deter drivers from making the poor decision to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs. Sadly, the data shows thousands of people still choose to drive impaired.”
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 15 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.
