CDOT cautions Coloradans: Don’t let the horrors of a DUI haunt your Halloween

Haga clic aquí para ver este comunicado de prensa en español.

Statewide - If you plan to get your “boos” on during Halloween weekend, make sure you have a safe and sober ride to and from your destination — because a DUI will haunt you. The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies across the state are planning increased DUI enforcement for the Halloween weekend from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the Halloween period has more DUI arrests than any other holiday during the year. From 2019-2021, there were 2,187 DUI arrests during the Halloween celebration period, which includes the two weeks prior to Halloween.

“Every holiday brings the likelihood of more impaired drivers on our roads, and we take our role in preventing crashes and fatalities seriously,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Festivities are all fun and games until people become reckless and lives are put in danger. Keep it fun but keep it safe. Get a sober ride.”

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 4, there were 495 fatal crashes on Colorado roadways, 35% of which are suspected to involve impaired drivers. Early data from the Colorado Crash Data dashboard shows that 25-34-year-old drivers have the highest number of fatalities with suspected alcohol impairment, marking a grim trend for young adults. The Colorado Crash Date dashboard is available to view here.

“Driving under the influence of any substance puts you and others unnecessarily in harm’s way,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “With trick-or-treaters and more pedestrians on our roadways, drivers need to consider who could be affected by their decision to drive impaired. Be smart and never drive after drinking alcohol or consuming cannabis. If you do, it could land you in jail.”

• For local law enforcement agency plans, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.
• For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/data-analysis/fatal-crash-data.
• For trends involving impaired driving court cases, drug toxicology results and other impaired driving data, visit the Colorado Driving Under the Influence 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.