Cracker Jacks® and DUI crackdowns — Summer Strikeout DUI enforcement period begins July 19
STATEWIDE — Don’t forget to take your breathalyzer out to the ball game — statewide law enforcement will be on patrol for impaired drivers from July 19-29. The Colorado Department of Transportation , Colorado State Patrol and local law agencies will team up to conduct the Summer Strikeout heightened 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.
“This DUI enforcement period will help keep our roads safe,” said Shoshana Lew, CDOT Executive Director. “Many drivers are unfortunately willing to put themselves and others at risk by driving impaired. It only takes a few drinks to become unsafe behind the wheel. When in doubt, drivers should always find a sober ride home.”
The Summer Strikeout enforcement period is a new addition to The Heat Is On campaign, which supports 15 high-visibility impaired driving enforcement periods throughout the year.
“Baseball season gives people the time to get together and celebrate with friends and family, and our officers work to help all Coloradans get home safely,” said Col. Matthew Packard, CSP Chief. “Unfortunately, many motorists don’t realize that consuming any amount of alcohol can put themselves, their passengers and their fellow drivers in danger.”
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. Through the partnership, breathalyzers will be offered at a 50% discount for Colorado residents from July to September, or while supplies last. Residents can visit codot.bactrack.com to place an order.
During the recent Fourth of July enforcement period, 91 agencies increased patrols from July 3-8 and arrested 310 impaired drivers, a decrease from the 340 arrests made during the same enforcement last year. The El Paso County Sherriff’s Office (47 arrests), Colorado Springs Police Department (35 arrests), and Denver Police Department (19 arrests) recorded the highest number of arrests. CSP recorded 44 arrests. Results for all law enforcement agencies across the state can be found at http://codot.gov/safety/
For more information on CDOT’s efforts this summer, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips, visit https://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 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.
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.
