The Colorado Department of Transportation is working with Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies through a series of The Heat Is On DUI enforcement periods from Friday, January 15 through Monday, January 25, to keep Colorado roads safe in 2021.
The Heat Is On campaign will consist of 16-high visibility DUI enforcement periods starting with the Winter Blitz DUI enforcement. A total of 92 agencies expect to boost DUI patrols during Winter Blitz as 588 arrests were made last year during the same enforcement period.
“Each year, thousands of Coloradans experience the long-term shock waves from a DUI including driver’s license revocation, employment impacts, higher insurance rates, not to mention potential jail time,” said Chief Matthew Packard, Colorado State Patrol. “Our 2021 enforcement efforts will continue to include sobriety checkpoints, increased officers on duty, and concentrated patrols in high-risk areas to catch those that fail to think about the short and long-term impacts of driving while impaired,” Matthew said.
During the New Year’s Eve DUI enforcement period from Tuesday, December 29 through Saturday, January 2. Approximately 6,157 DUI arrests were made statewide during the 16 heightened enforcement periods last year.
The state continues to ask people to closely follow the evolving COVID-19 safety guidelines as part of their daily routines as restaurants, workspaces, and other public areas increase capacity. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) aided Coloradans in planning sober rides through free Lyft ride codes, which values at $10 each throughout December as part of the “Gift of Lyft” campaign.
Over 350 Lyft credits were claimed in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Thornton, all areas where DUI fatalities were the highest in 2019. CDOT works to provide Colorado law enforcement funding for impaired driving enforcement, education, and awareness campaigns.
The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year, with enforcement periods including sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and additional law enforcement on duty.
“Bringing everyone home safely remains our number one goal,” said Darrell Lingk, CDOT Highway Safety Office Director. “DUI enforcement periods are critical in supporting a system-wide change to reduce death and injury for the traveling public,” Darrell said.
For more information regarding CDOT’s keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement objectives, arrest data, and safety information, visit: codot.gov/safety or to learn more about current enforcement period plans for local areas, including arrest totals, visit: codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal
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