Law Enforcement plans for DUI enforcement over Halloween weekend
From Oct. 29–Nov. 2, law enforcement will be on heightened alert for impaired drivers during Halloween weekend. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is working with Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and law enforcement agencies across the state to help keep impaired drivers off of Colorado roadways during the weekend. Local authorities encourage travelers to do so responsibly and with COVID-19 guidelines in mind.
“If consuming alcohol is a part of your Halloween plan this coming weekend, expand your plan to include a designated sober driver or plan not to drive. Decide that drinking and driving is not an option,” said Matthew Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “As holiday celebrations often lead to an increase of impaired drivers, our plan includes increasing our presence and enforcement activities on Colorado roadways.”
Of the 461 recorded statewide passenger vehicle fatalities that have happened on Colorado roads this year (Jan. 1–Oct. 7), 148 of those were due to impairment, or roughly 32 percent. To help keep this number from increasing, 86 agencies plan to participate in this year’s Halloween DUI enforcement. Last year, the five-day Halloween weekend enforcement period included 96 law enforcement agencies, making 250 total arrests.
“Every one of us has a personal responsibility to be safe and accountable,” said Darrell Lingk, CDOT director of the Office of Transportation. “That includes abiding by COVID-19 guidelines and never driving impaired. Impaired driving is one of the biggest threats to the safety of our transportation network, and CDOT is working with law enforcement partners across the state to remove this threat from Colorado roads this Halloween weekend.”
Most DUI citations issued by Colorado law enforcement are on the weekend between 10 p.m. on Fridays and 2 a.m. on Saturdays, and again from 10 p.m. Saturdays to 2 a.m. Sundays. All motorists need to remember that they can be arrested for impaired driving if their blood-alcohol content (BAC) is at any level above zero, even if it’s below the legal limit of .08 percent for DUI or .05 percent for DWAI.
Personal breathalyzers can keep drivers safe by informing them of their BAC and how long to wait until they are sober. Currently Colorado residents can purchase a personal breathalyzer through BACtrack for 20% off by going to codot.bactrack.com. The offer expires Nov. 30.
Read about CDOT’s dedication to keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips at 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.
COVID-19
Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for all of us, particularly for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, CDOT maintenance and construction crews follow social distancing and other health safety measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO by practicing social distancing and wearing face masks. As traffic returns to normal levels, motorists must drive cautiously and heed the speed limit so all of us can return home safely.
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. Gov. Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.
