Extra DUI enforcement on the roads for fall push to keep impaired drivers off the roads

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - According to information collected by the Colorado Department of Transportation, El Paso County has already seen 13 deaths related to impaired driving this year.

“About 1/3 of the traffic deaths that we see on the CDOT roads involve someone who is impaired. That is a very serious issue: upwards of 200-300 people are killed every year in the state of Colorado by an impaired driver,” said CDOT traffic safety manager Sam Cole.

Cole says although the summer holidays are behind us, things like fairs, Oktoberfests and backyard barbeques contribute to high numbers of DUIs in the fall.

“We’ve run the data, and at this time of year we do tend to see unfortunately a lot of people out there driving impaired, and that’s why it’s so important to have a law enforcement out on our roadways,” Cole said.

The extra DUI enforcement began Thursday and runs until Oct. 25, making it the longest DUI enforcement period of the year. Last year, there were more than 1,400 impaired driving arrests during the same time period and nearly 3,800 arrests made during heightened enforcement periods.

“If you are arrested, you’ll get your license taken away for a certain period of time, you could possibly go to jail, traffic fines upwards of $13,000, and of course, you’re gonna have a criminal record ... it’s all so incredibly preventable,” Cole said.

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