Increased fall DUI enforcement begins Sept. 14

COLORADO, USA (KRDO)-- The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is announcing it is joining forces with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and other law enforcement agencies for the Fall Festivals DUI Enforcement Period.

Spanning 41 days between Sept. 14, through Oct. 25, this will be the longest Enforcement Period of the year that will bring an increased presence of DUI patrols across the state.

According to the CDOT, last year in 2022, there were 1,407 impaired driving arrests during the same enforcement period.

So far in 2023, those numbers climbed to 3,788 DUI arrests during heightened enforcement periods. 

What’s more is that CDOT reports there have been 148 traffic fatalities from crashes involving an impaired driver, just this year alone.

This data graph provided by CDOT shows the impaired driving fatalities across Colorado:

The graph reads Adams and Arapahoe as the counties with the highest fatalities at 16, followed by Jefferson at 14, and Denver and El Paso County at 13.

In light of this, CDOT is reminding drivers to stay safe this season:

• Plan ahead and find a sober ride before leaving your home.
• Use a rideshare service to or from activities if you are planning to drink.
• “Buzzed driving” is drunk driving. Even one drink is enough to impair your driving ability.

For yearly impaired driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, click here.

For local law enforcement agency plans, click here.