The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies across the state begin a heightened DUI enforcement Friday, April 6.
The Heat Is On campaign runs through May 14.
“We’re urging folks to keep your friends and family from getting behind the wheel if they’re impaired,” said Darrell Lingk, director of CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety. “This is everyone’s responsibility.”
Lingk added that spring, with its events such as graduation parties, concerts, 4/20 celebrations, baseball season “have historically given people a reason to drink or consume cannabis.”
In 2017, 1,958 drivers were cited by law enforcement across the state for driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other drugs during the five-week spring DUI enforcement — an increase from 1,555 in 2016, according to to a news release from CDOT spokesman Sam Cole.
The cost of a DUI can total over $13,500 when considering fines, legal fees and insurance costs, Cole said.
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.
