The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Larimer County Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Task Force will be conducting roving DUI checkpoints on Friday, August 15. LCSO will also be conducting increased DUI saturation patrols on August 15 and 16.
The goal of all DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols is to educate drivers about the dangers of driving impaired, decrease the number of impaired drivers on Colorado roadways, and prevent drug and alcohol related traffic fatalities. Checkpoints and saturation patrols are part of the Colorado Department of Transportation Checkpoint Colorado campaign and The Heat is On campaign. The time and location of checkpoints are not released in advance.
As a reminder to Colorado drivers, Driving Under the Influence of any drug is illegal and just as deadly and dangerous as driving drunk. If you drive impaired by drugs, even if they are legal like marijuana, you can be arrested for DUI. Marijuana affects reaction time, short-term memory, hand-eye coordination, concentration, and the perception of time and distance.
Colorado’s Express Consent Law requires any driver to consent to a chemical test if a law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe the person is Driving Under the Influence or their ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired because of alcohol, drugs, or both.
According to the latest statistics from the CDOT, the average DUI charge can cost more than $10,270 dollars in court fees, insurance premiums, education classes, the loss of your driver’s license and in some cases an ignition interlock device that has to be installed in your car.
CDOT reminds all drivers that each year in Colorado, more than 26,000 people are arrested for DUI and over 150 people are killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, representing more than one-third of Colorado’s total motor vehicle fatalities. Drug-impaired driving is also a serious problem, with CDOT reporting 87 fatalities in 2012 involving drivers who tested positive for drugs.