By Shannon Lukens.

Colorado State Patrol has some reminders.

The first is that local law enforcement agencies are participating in a Super Bowl Weekend DUI Enforcement period, Feb. 9-14. Celebrate responsibly this weekend and don’t drink and drive.

Second, auto theft is up. The best thing you can do to prevent your car from being stolen is to lock your car and take your keys, every time. If you don’t have a secure place to park, get a steering wheel lock, an aftermarket alarm system, or a kill switch.

In 2022, the #1 stolen vehicle was a Chevrolet Silverado. 85% of those stolen were model years older than ten years. Of the top 10 on the list, six were either Kias or Hyundais. The list is below.

Last year, during Spring Break, several Steamboat Springs and Routt County residents were victims of vehicle theft from the Denver area, and Denver International Airport.

• MULTIPLE STEAMBOAT RESIDENTS ARE VICTIMS OF THEFT AT DIA AREA PARKING LOTS 
• RANCH TRUCK STOLEN FROM HOTEL NEAR DIA PUTS HAYDEN FAMILY IN BIND

 

 

Press releases from Colorado State Patrol; Feb. 9, 2023.

 

Auto Theft is Up and Its Time to Protect Yourself

CSP and CATPA Release 2022 Data

(COLORADO) – Vehicle theft has taken center stage in conversations for many Coloradoans this past year. With auto theft continuing to rise, the Colorado State Patrol and The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) want to provide information and tools to help you protect your vehicle and help us lessen the rate of auto theft.

Preventing auto theft starts with the basics. 

The best step you can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of auto theft is to lock your car and take your keys, every time. Failure to take this basic step is referred to as Owner Apathy, and according to National Insurance Crime Bureau’s latest report, thefts involving the keys left in the vehicle are up by 20% over the last few years.

Beyond this first step, CATPA always recommends you park your vehicle in a garage or secure parking area, if available to you. If your garage is too full for your vehicle, it’s time to clean it out and benefit from a secure place to store your vehicle. A locked car, in a secure garage drastically reduces your chances of motor vehicle theft.

When you don’t have access to secured parking whether at home, work or anywhere else, CATPA recommends taking extra security precautions to secure your vehicle. Devices such as a steering wheel lock, an aftermarket alarm system, or advanced measures like a vehicle kill switch or immobilizer are possible options. These features are particularly recommended for any vehicle over five years old, and especially for those models found on the Top Ten Most Stolen Cars list.

 

If you are fortunate to have secure parking and live in a low crime area, auto theft should still be a concern for you! The victim of vehicle theft is not solely the owner.  In nearly all cases, stolen vehicles are used as the means to commit other serious and violent crimes including drug use or sales, other thefts, armed robberies, burglaries, assaults and homicides.

In addition to crimes and rising insurance rates across Colorado, auto thieves add to the dangerous driving landscape by notoriously driving recklessly. While committing this crime they display willful disregard to other motorists, pedestrians and laws, speeding excessively, running traffic lights, cutting other vehicles off, passing on the shoulders, and attempting to elude law enforcement.  In some instances, they crash causing injury to themselves and other uninvolved motorists.

By making your vehicle a more challenging target for theft, you can help us reduce this crime in Colorado. Please take your keys and always lock your vehicle to bring these numbers down and make Colorado a safer place. Learn about additional ways to prevent auto theft at lockdownyourcar.org

 

Fans don’t let fans drive impaired: DUI enforcement kicks off game weekend

150 Lyft credits available for game weekend celebrations

Statewide — The biggest game in football is almost here, but the players aren’t the only ones with a big responsibility this weekend. Fans should never let other fans drive impaired. The Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado State Patrol and more than 40 local law enforcement agencies are participating in the Super Bowl Weekend DUI enforcement period from Feb. 9-14. Regardless of whom you root for, a DUI will put a definite end to any party plans.

“Whether you’re a football fan or just watching for the halftime show, make a driving plan before heading out to view the game. We’ll have extra state troopers on our roads looking for impaired drivers,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Our goal is to have everyone arrive home safely, so be a good sport and get a sober ride.”

To continue providing Coloradans with safe rides home, CDOT is providing 150 Lyft credits for the big game weekend. Coloradans can redeem a $10 credit using the code “KickoffSafe” in the promotions section of the Lyft app. Ride credits are available statewide and can be redeemed anytime from Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. to Feb. 15 until 11:59 p.m. Click here to apply the credit directly to the Lyft app from a mobile device. The promotion is part of an extended partnership with Lyft and Responsibility.org, funded by a grant CDOT received from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

The recent Winter Blitz enforcement period saw 322 arrests across 72 participating agencies, concluding the first DUI enforcement of 2023. The agencies with the highest number of arrests were Colorado State Patrol (66), Colorado Springs Police Department (58) and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (28). In 2022, the Super Bowl Weekend enforcement period resulted in 156 arrests, averaging two arrests per hour for all three enforcement days.

“If you’re hosting a party, make sure all your guests get to and from the celebration safely,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “List out the options for them — spend the night, call a ride-hailing service or designate a sober driver. It all comes down to one decision, don’t risk getting a DUI or being involved in a crash where someone loses their life.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to encourage football fans to not drive impaired through its Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk safety effort. The campaign encourages football party goers to keep friends from getting behind the wheel impaired by assigning a designated driver and ensuring that they actually remain sober.

For yearly impaired driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/data-analysis/fatal-crash-data. For local law enforcement agency plans, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-reporting-portal.

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