577 impaired drivers arrested during Presidents Day enforcement period

To keep motorists safe on Colorado roads, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP), and local law enforcement conducted a new The Heat Is On DUI enforcement period this year to coincide with the Presidents Day holiday. During the 11-day enforcement period 577 impaired drivers were arrested.

Ninety statewide law enforcement agencies participated in the Presidents Day enforcement period, with the Denver Police Department (110 arrests) and Colorado Springs Police Department (64 arrests) recording the highest arrest totals. CSP arrested an additional 58 DUI offenders across the state. Comprehensive results from all participating agencies can be found at codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal. Arrest data is organized by law enforcement agency and enforcement period.

“If there’s a holiday or long weekend, we anticipate more drivers on the road and more impaired drivers,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of CSP. “Unfortunately, 577 drivers made the poor and dangerous decision to drive impaired this Presidents Day. With continued enforcement on this holiday, we believe more drivers across the state will make the safe, smart choice to have a sober driver next Presidents Day, and every day.”

The Heat Is On will return for the St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement period from March 13–18.

CDOT’s The Heat Is On DUI-prevention campaign, including the Presidents Day and St. Patrick’s Day enforcement periods, supports CDOT’s Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to reduce traffic injuries and deaths.

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.  

In early 2019, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to heighten safety awareness. This initiative 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 the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located at its Denver headquarters and in regional offices 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. Governor Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.