Don’t get in a pinch - CDOT begins St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement
News Release
Statewide — The weekend of green beer and cheer is almost here, and responsible Coloradans know not to throw away their luck on a DUI. From March 16–21, CDOT, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and more than 71 law enforcement agencies are joining forces for the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend enforcement, urging Coloradans to include a sober ride in their holiday plans. Increased patrols will focus on removing impaired drivers from the roads.
“Getting behind the wheel impaired by any substance puts everyone on the road at risk. Do you have a plan for a sober ride before you head out?” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “The decision to drive impaired doesn't affect just you. Don't rely on luck to get you out of a DUI, or even worse, a fatal crash.”
CDOT is continuing its partnership with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Lyft and Responsibility.org to offer $10 Lyft ride credits. The credits, available statewide, are valid only while supplies last and can be redeemed with the code “SPDSAFE” in the Lyft app until March 23 at 11:59 p.m. To apply the credit directly to the Lyft app from a mobile device online here. The credits are funded by a grant CDOT received from GHSA. To date, 827 rideshare credits have been used statewide over holiday periods to prevent impaired driving.
So far this year there have been 28 impaired driving related fatalities on Colorado roads. During that time almost 1000 DUI arrests have been made. The recent Presidents Week enforcement period resulted in 319 DUI arrests, which included 105 arrests made by CSP.
“Make a plan before you go out. It really is that simple with all the resources available today,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “All the DUI arrests that have occurred this year were 100% preventable. Don’t be the reason someone doesn’t get to go home to their family this weekend.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 37 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period in 2020. For Coloradans hosting St. Patrick’s Day parties, make sure that all guests have a safe and sober ride home.
For yearly impaired driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/data-analysis/fatal-crash-data. For local law enforcement agency plans, visit codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.
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.
