Fall colors mark beginning of new DUI enforcement period on Sept. 11

Fall is coming. And while the season of shorter days, cool nights, and colorful leaves is on the horizon, many Colorado fall festivities will look different this year. With the new season also comes increased DUI enforcement. Law enforcement will be on high alert during the Fall Fest DUI enforcement period Sept. 11–Oct. 28. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is joining forces with Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies statewide to help prevent impaired drivers from threatening the safety of others on Colorado roadways.

So far this year, 102 deaths on Colorado roads are attributed to impaired driving. As traffic volumes continue to shift back to normal, Coloradans need to be aware of the present issue of impaired driving. CDOT and law enforcement urge all Coloradans to drive sober or make sober arrangements to travel safely to and from their destinations this fall.

Summer 2020 DUI arrests to date total 1,444, excluding the most recent Labor Day enforcement data, which is not yet available. Last year, the Fall Festivals enforcement period included 99 law enforcement agencies with 1,534 arrests. Eighty-four agencies plan to be involved this year with increased patrols. The Sturgis Rally enforcement in August had a total of 380 DUI arrests among 97 participating agencies.

“Last year, as the seasons changed, we saw a spike in DUI arrests,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of CSP. "Our message is simple, if you choose to drink, don't endanger others. You have options to avoid a needless tragedy and we know what to look for to help keep our Colorado roadways safe.”  

The fall enforcement period also coincides with CDOT’s Take Some Time campaign “2-Hourglass” fabrication located at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora. CDOT created this large-scale display, featuring an oversized beer and wine glass, to reinforce that a single alcoholic drink can impair a person for two hours — and that the only appropriate time to drive is with a BAC of zero. The fabrication repeatedly shows each alcoholic beverage glass draining over two hours, which increases the amount of time until a person’s BAC returns to zero. The fabrication was installed Sept. 4 and will remain at Stanley Marketplace for two weeks.

CDOT’s Take Some Time campaign launched in early July on billboards, buildings, social media, and in liquor stores statewide. The campaign aims to educate and raise awareness of the time it takes for a person’s BAC to return to zero after consuming alcohol. View and download the campaign creative here: dropbox.com/sh/d7xzbb8kd6j9sei/AACCAzHtXzPzJeSl6DMLHXzva?dl=0.

Only 10 days remain for the 50% discount for Colorado residents on BACtrack® breathalyzers. CDOT partnered with BACtrack®, a leading personal breathalyzer company, to once again make breathalyzers more accessible and allow for a more direct practical tool to educate those of age about breath alcohol content (BAC) levels to help reduce impaired driving. Colorado residents can use the discount towards a BACtrack Mobile Pro, Trace Pro, C8, or C6 and can visit codot.bactrack.com to purchase their own through Sept. 20, or while supplies last.

Currently, more than 1,100 Colorado residents have purchased BACtrack breathalyzers since the 50% discount became available in early July. For more information about CDOT and BACtrack’s partnership, the 50% discount and previous breathalyzer campaigns, visit HeatIsOnColorado.com.

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.