October 26, 2023 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens.

Colorado State Patrol says the scariest thing at Halloween is “The Drunk Driver.” Don’t do it. CSP is out there with extra enforcement through Nov. 1. They say a DUI could cost you over $13,500, your license, your job, your freedom, and possibly your life.

We have two recent press releases. The first is from Colorado State Patrol. The second is from Colorado Department of Transportation.

Scariest Thing at Halloween: The Drunk Driver

Troopers Saw Highest Impaired Crash Fatalities October 2022

(COLORADO) – Kids aren’t the only ones that enjoy Halloween. Any Colorado State trooper can share stories about adults who enjoy celebrating this holiday, sometimes too much. A word of friendly advice for this year: if a Halloween party or evening out is in your weekend plans, take a moment now to arrange a sober ride home.

In 2022, 278 people died as a result of impaired driving, which is almost a 6% increase from 2021. The Colorado State Patrol investigated 2,079 injury, property and fatal crashes due to impaired driving, which resulted in 115 of those statewide fatalities.

“Drunk drivers come in all shapes and sizes,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “October was a busy month for our Troopers last year for some very depressing reasons. No one needs to live a nightmare; every driver can make a responsible choice.”

To help save time finding a costume this year, the Colorado State Patrol has a recommendation inspired by those who fail to plan for a sober driver.

“This ‘look’ is unattractive and scary. And this ‘look’ can cost you a lot,” explained Col. Packard. “It can cost you over $13,500, your license, your job, and even your freedom. Or worse yet, it could cost a life.”

Troopers continue to take a low-tolerance approach to the top fatal crash factors, including lane violations while launching a yearlong campaign called “Drive Safe.” This campaign reminds people to control their lane position based on their current driving environment.

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Driving impaired will cost you: Halloween Weekend enforcement period begins Thursday

CDOT reminds Coloradans of the scary reality of a DUI citation

STATEWIDE — If you plan to eat, drink and be scary this weekend, make sure you plan a sober ride for wherever the night takes you. The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and over 70 local law enforcement agencies are partnering for the Halloween Weekend enforcement period from Oct. 26 through Nov. 1. During this seven-day enforcement period, increased patrols will be present statewide to remove impaired drivers from Colorado roadways.

In 2022, there were 134 impaired driving arrests during last year’s Halloween enforcement period. To date, there have been 4,258 DUI arrests during holiday and special event enforcement periods in 2023. Additionally, there have been 169 roadway fatalities from crashes involving an impaired driver this year.

“Don’t ruin your holiday or all the ones coming soon by changing the direction of your life with a DUI. If the thought of risking the lives of others isn’t a motivator to stop driving intoxicated, the cost and inconvenience of a DUI could be, stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Plan a safe ride before you start, it’s poor choices, like driving impaired, that can haunt you. Take responsibility.”

“Planning a sober ride ahead of any holiday festivities is simple and effective,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “With all the resources at our disposal to call a safe ride, there’s never an excuse to drive under the influence.”

So far in the month of October, CDOT has distributed more than $23,000 in Uber discounts throughout its partnership with Uber and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) since May. This has resulted in over 6,900 sober rides.

Penalties for first-time DUI offenders are determined by the court and may vary, but could cost someone an average of $13,530 and a minimum of 170 hours of their time dealing with the consequences. According to NoDUIColorado.org, offenders could rack up the costs below in addition to any criminal fines:

Increased Auto Insurance: $3,600
Ignition Interlock Service: $2,172
Alcohol/Drug Treatment & Education: $1,000
Defense Attorney: $3,650
Arrest, Court & Legal Fees: $2,300
Department of Revenue & DMV Fees: $773

So far, data shows that the recent Fall Festivals enforcement period concluded with more than 320 DUI arrests across 78 participating law enforcement agencies. The agencies with the highest number of arrests were Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (48), Fort Collins Police Department (47) and Colorado Springs Police Department (43).

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