Colorado State Patrol reminding drivers to celebrate the holidays responsibly

Over the past eight days, the Colorado State Patrol responded to three deadly crashes in Colorado Springs, which troopers say could’ve been prevented if seat belts had been worn.

The State Patrol is reminding drivers to buckle up and have a designated driver. The weekend before Christmas is a big night for parties and DUI arrests.

An average of about 700 people die nationwide each December because of alcohol related crashes.

“A lot of holiday parties are going on; we have Christmas coming up as well and New Year’s. We’ll have a lot of enforcement out. The big thing is, if you’re going to a holiday party plan ahead. Plan to have that taxi and designated driver,” said Sgt. Daniel Haley with Colorado State Patrol.

Troopers typically responds to one DUI arrest a night in El Paso County. They have extra troopers on the streets patrolling during the month of December.