September 5, 2008
1,414 in Colorado Over The Limit, Under Arrest
Law enforcement agencies across Colorado turned up the heat on drunk drivers during an18-day DUI enforcement crackdown that ended Tuesday. Forty-eight agencies and the Colorado State Patrol made 1,414 DUI arrests between August 15th and September 2nd as part of the national DUI mobilization called “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest”.
According to preliminary reports, 9 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in Colorado during this year’s crackdown period, compared to 16 during the same time-period last year.
“This DUI crackdown may be over, but our enforcement of the state’s DUI laws will not let up until we see zero traffic deaths caused by impaired drivers,” said Col. Mark Trostel, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “One death is too many. And it’s high time people realize that drinking and driving is a crime that will not be tolerated.”
Each year in Colorado, more than 30,000 people are arrested for DUI. A first-time DUI conviction costs more than $10,000, including chemical testing, fines, attorney fees, and increased insurance costs.
“Nothing is worth the risk of losing your life, your freedom, or even your hard-earned money,” said Pam Hutton, CDOT Governor’s Representative for Highway Safety. “It’s critical that people plan ahead if they plan on drinking alcohol. Designate a sober driver or take public transportation, but whatever you do, don’t get behind the wheel after drinking.”
The Colorado State Patrol made 294 DUI arrests during the crackdown, and the following ten agencies also made a high number of DUI arrests:
To view DUI arrest totals by agency, visit www.dot.state.co.us/trafficsafety/ and click Reports on the header. Choose Heat is on! Enforcement, select National Crackdown Labor Day 2008 and click View Report.
Nationwide in 2007, 12,998 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. These fatalities accounted for 32 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States. In Colorado last year, 226 people were killed in drunk driving crashes, accounting for 40 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic deaths.