Colorado to begin Memorial Day crackdown on drunken driving

Colorado authorities will be stepping up their drunken driving enforcement during the Memorial Day weekend.

The Denver Post reports that the Colorado Department of Transportation is cracking down on DUI drivers with sobriety checkpoints from Friday through Tuesday. There will also be increased patrols in areas where DUIs are most likely to occur, including near bars and restaurants.

The increased enforcement is part of the department’s “Heat is On” campaign, which is aimed at preventing people who have been drinking during the holiday from getting behind the wheel.

State figures from 2007-2015 show Memorial Day has the highest alcohol-related fatality rate of the year.

Friday also marks the first day of Checkpoint Colorado, a 100-day summer enforcement period under the campaign. That program will run through Labor Day weekend.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com