Colorado sees decrease in DUIs in 2019

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Thanks in part to the "Heat is On" campaign, the Colorado Department of Transportation says local law enforcement saw a decrease in DUIs last year.

The campaign, which runs throughout the year with 16 specific enforcement periods, is centered around national holidays and large public events.

In 2019, law enforcement agencies across the state covered 179 enforcement days and made an average of 48 DUI arrests per day. There were just over 8,500 DUI arrests during those enforcement periods. That's down from the 9,600 in 2018.

However, here in El Paso County: the numbers do not reflect the statewide trend.

Sam Cole with CDOT said, "We actually saw a 16 percent increase in DUIs during this holiday enforcement period during 2019 for El Paso County. The good news is that the number of fatalities that involved an impaired driver last year actually decreased."

Early data shows 176 people died in impaired-related crashes on Colorado roads in 2019. That's a number that CDOT would like to see decrease as well.

The "Heat is On" campaign will continue in 2020 with 16 heightened enforcement periods. The 10-day winter blitz enforcement period begins on Friday.