CSP and Local Law Cracking Down on Labor Day DUIs

Denver – As Coloradans prepare to head out on the roads this Labor Day Weekend, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and statewide law enforcement agencies have a warning: Don’t even think about drinking and driving because DUI patrols will be out in force.

Sobriety checkpoints and increased DUI patrols are under way across the state through early Tuesday morning.  The enforcement is part of the summer-long “100 Days of Heat” campaign and coincides with the National DUI Crackdown.  Since Colorado joined the national effort on Aug. 17th, law enforcement officers have averaged over 50 DUI arrests per day.  That number is expected to go way up because only half of the 110 participating agencies have reported their arrests so far, according to CDOT. During last year’s national DUI crackdown, police made 1,442 DUI arrests.

“There’s no day off this Labor Day weekend for hundreds of troopers, police officers and deputies who will be working tirelessly to keep impaired drivers off our roadways,” said Colonel James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol.  “Now is the time to make a plan for a designated driver or public transportation.  There are many big events across Colorado this weekend, from the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver, to the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally in Ignacio, and the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo.  No matter where you are in the state, please take the time to designate a sober driver and don’t forget to buckle up.”
Here are “DUI Arrests By the Numbers”: Since the “100 Days of Heat” campaign began Memorial Weekend, Colorado law enforcement agencies have made 2,097 DUI arrests in Colorado during enforcement periods and at checkpoints.  According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s annual crime report, 26,146 adults and juveniles were arrested for DUI in 2011, making it an average of 72 DUI arrests per day in the state.