Keep Halloween spooky and rides sober — DUI enforcement starts Oct. 29
News Release
Spanish verion available here.
STATEWIDE — Halloween is meant to be spooky. Drivers are meant to be sober. This is the message that CDOT, the Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies are sending to Coloradans during The Heat Is On Halloween Weekend DUI enforcement period, Oct. 29 – Nov. 1. During this time increased DUI patrols will occur statewide to help keep impaired drivers off the roads. Nearly half of fatal crashes on Halloween night involve a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.
CDOT also wants to remind drivers to slow their speed and be on high alert for child trick-or-treaters during the Halloween weekend. Halloween is the single deadliest day of the year for child pedestrians, who are three times more likely to be struck and killed by a car than any other day of the year, according to NHTSA.
So far in 2021, preliminary data shows that 194 fatalities on Colorado roads have involved an impaired driver. This is a 15% jump from last year when 169 impaired driving fatalities had been reported.
“During the 2021 DUI enforcement periods, law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 3,700 impaired drivers on our roadways,” said Chief Matthew Packard, Colorado State Patrol. “Our DUI patrols are strategically placed throughout the state because impaired driving is a concern for every community. If you choose to drive under the influence, we’re prepared to stop you.”
During last year’s Halloween Weekend enforcement period, 95 participating law enforcement agencies arrested 202 impaired drivers from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. Local law enforcement agency plans and arrest results across the state can be found at https://www.codot.gov/safety/
“It’s not just alcohol that’s affecting drivers behind the wheel,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Alcohol mixed with other drugs, such as cannabis, can substantially impair one's ability to drive. Education and enforcement are our top priorities for reaching zero deaths on our roads.”
The recent Fall Festivals enforcement period, from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13, saw 63 participating agencies make 79 arrests. The Thanksgiving Week enforcement is up next from Nov. 24 to Nov. 28.
For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, 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 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. More information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org. Learn more about CDOT’s dedication to keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement objectives, arrest data and safety information at codot.gov/safety.
ABOUT CDOT
CDOT’s Whole System-Whole Safety program has one simple mission — to get everyone home safely. Our approximately 3,000 employees work tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. The department manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.
