March 16, 2022 Shannon Lukens

News

Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol want to remind you to not drink and drive on St. Patrick’s Day as the Luck ‘o the Irish may not be with you. CSP has extra enforcement out through the weekend. They say a DUI will put you in a pinch and cost you a lot of green as the average cost of a DUI is $13,500.

Here’s the press release from the Colorado Department of Transportation News Room.

A DUI will cost you a pot of gold, says CDOT, ahead of St. Patrick’s Day Weekend enforcement period ☘️

Law enforcement urges partygoers to not test their luck by driving impaired

STATEWIDE — The luck of the Irish will only get you so far if you choose to drive impaired. CDOT is joining forces with local law enforcement and Colorado State Patrol for the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend enforcement, March 17-20. The message is clear — don’t risk it.

A DUI will put you in a pinch and cost you a lot of green. Penalties are determined by the court and may vary but could exceed $13,500. According to NoDUIColorado.org, you could be required to pay the following fees if you get a DUI:

Increased Auto Insurance – $3,600
Ignition Interlock Service – $2,172
Alcohol/Drug Treatment & Education – $1,000
Defense Attorney – $3,655
Arrest, Court & Legal Fees – approx. $2,300
Department of Revenue & DMV Fees – approx. $773

“We expect a lot of spirited festivities during this holiday, especially since the last two were impacted by the pandemic,” said Col. Matthew Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “But I wouldn’t test your luck behind the wheel, even if you are Irish. Impaired driving is reckless and law enforcement will be watching because we know the monetary cost of a DUI is the least of someone’s worries when considering the impact of a serious or fatal crash.”

Last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Weekend enforcement period ended with 229 arrests among 101 participating agencies. Recently the Presidents Day DUI enforcement period resulted in 140 arrests.

During enforcement periods, drivers may encounter sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. Local law enforcement agency plans can be found at https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.

“Celebrations will likely occur all weekend long, but the party cannot extend to the roads,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Being safe and sober behind the wheel should not be a difficult proposition, especially with so many alternative ways to get to your destination. So don’t put your life, or that of others, at risk. It’s that simple.”

With impaired driving accounting for one-third of crashes and fatalities across the United States in mind, AAA’s Tow To Go program returns for the festive weekend, offering partygoers a backup plan to get home safe if not sober.

For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/crash-data-management/fatal-crash-data. For trends involving impaired driving court cases, drug toxicology results and other impaired driving data, visit the Colorado Driving Under the Influence dashboard at https://ors.colorado.gov/ors-dui.

ABOUT THE HEAT IS ON

The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year, with 16 specific high-visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. Find more details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips at HeatIsOnColorado.com. More information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org. Learn more about CDOT’s dedication to keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement objectives, arrest data and safety information at codot.gov/safety.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT’s Whole System-Whole Safety program has one simple mission — to get everyone home safely. Our approximately 3,000 employees work tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. The department manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.