Holiday DUI enforcement periods set to keep Colorado roads safe

To curb impaired driving during the holiday season, CDOT, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies combined efforts to conduct the Heat Is On Holiday DUI enforcement period from Dec. 4-14. 98 statewide agencies increased DUI patrols on Colorado roadways to support the enforcement period.

Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. Local law enforcement agency plans can be found at codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.

As of Nov. 1, there have been 168 traffic fatalities involving an impaired driver statewide, up 14% from last year despite lower traffic volumes throughout much of this year. Alcohol use, including excessive drinking, has increased nationally during COVID-19. For example, the average drinks per day has increased 27% and binge drinking has increased by 26%. The largest increases in excessive drinking have been observed in western states, including Colorado.

“The holidays should be a memorable time for our community but not because it marks the loss of a loved one due to an impaired driving crash," said Chief Matthew Packard of CSP. "We will be actively looking for people who fail to plan for a sober ride after using drugs or alcohol.”