CDOT and law enforcement begin increased DUI patrols ahead of Super Bowl Sunday
News Release
STATEWIDE — Snacks, drinks and football are all important for the perfect Super Bowl Sunday party. However, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and statewide law enforcement agencies urge Coloradans not to add impaired driving to the mix. To keep impaired drivers off the road, The Heat Is On Super Bowl Weekend DUI enforcement period runs Feb. 11-14.
“Everyone loses when impaired driving is involved,” said Col. Matthew Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “It doesn't matter if you are celebrating a win or suffering a loss, it's no excuse to drive impaired. Make a plan for the party so you don't get behind the wheel if you’re not sober — and don’t let your guests drive home drunk if you’re hosting a party.”
As part of the enforcement period, drivers may see sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. Local law enforcement agency plans can be found at https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.
“It’s the game of the year and we know a lot of Coloradans are excited for Super Bowl festivities,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Whether people are going out or hosting parties at home, everyone needs to be held accountable for their actions and work together to eliminate impaired driving — we’ve seen too many deaths on our roads already.”
According to a Jan. 2022 report by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado prosecutors filed 26,165 cases with at least one DUI charge in 2019. Additionally, Colorado had a high conviction rate for DUI charges (88%), with increasing convictions for charges associated with high Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) results (96%), high Delta 9-THC results (92%), and polydrug results (92%).
The counties with the highest number of DUI case filings were El Paso (3,616), Adams (2,817), Larimer (2,344), Jefferson (2,306), Denver (1,817) and Arapahoe (1,763). Counties with the highest rates of DUI case filings per population were Gilpin, Kiowa, Huerfano, Clear Creek, and Summit. For more information, review the Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol report.
During the recent Winter Blitz DUI enforcement period, there were 101 reported arrests from 71 participating law enforcement agencies. Last year’s Super Bowl Weekend enforcement period ended with 188 arrests among 96 participating agencies.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) further encourages football fans to not drive impaired through its latest safety effort: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Recommendations to ensure safety on the roads include assigning a designated driver, not letting friends get behind the wheel impaired and to ensure that the designated driver remains sober throughout the night.
For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/crash-data-management/fatal-crash-data. Information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org. For trends involving impaired driving court cases, drug toxicology results and other impaired driving data, visit the Colorado Driving Under the Influence (DUI) dashboard at https://ors.colorado.gov/ors-dui.
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.
