Colorado Springs drivers beware, ‘Surge Enforcement Team’ in full force Friday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Prepare to see more El Paso law enforcement officers on the roads on Friday.

El Paso County, law enforcement agencies are teaming up to remove dangerous drivers from the greater Colorado Springs area.

The Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s office, and others will join forces to form the ‘Surge Enforcement Team.’ They will be on the lookout for speeding, distracted, aggressive, and impaired driving.

“People should avoid using their cell phones tomorrow,” Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. “But they also need to be avoiding using their cell phones all the time. That’s a big distractor. It’s not the only distractor we have, but that has been a big one that we see a lot of.”

The enforcement period will start tomorrow at 5 in the morning.

El Paso County, law enforcement agencies will patrol I-25 from Wigman to Monument.

Last year, C-DOT officials reported 752 people who died in crashes in the state. This is the most since 1981. They also say crashes caused five severe injuries on Colorado roads for every death.

Colorado State Patrol Master Trooper Gary Cutler explained tomorrow’s event as a way of keeping people safe.

“If you see us out there on the surge days or just any day out there and you get stopped by us, or you see us stop others, realize that what we are doing out there is trying to save lives,” Master Trooper Cutler said. “If we do contact you, it’s because we saw something that we believe is unsafe on the roadways. And if we do give you a ticket, take it in stride.”

Drivers should keep an eye on the road, and off any distractions anytime they are behind the wheel.

“I don’t think anyone was ever taught to drive with one hand on the steering wheel and the other one with a phone,” Master Trooper Cutler said. “And so people need to realize that when you get behind that wheel, that is your most important and only focus that you need to have, making sure you are driving correctly and that you are staying safe.”

The next surge enforcement will be in June.