DENVER, CO – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and statewide law enforcement agencies are warning Coloradans not to press their luck by drinking and driving this St. Patrick’s Day or the days leading up to it. The Colorado State Patrol and 72 law enforcement agencies are conducting a Heat Is On crackdown beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 12 and continuing through 3 a.m. on Thursday, March 18.
Last year, three people were killed in alcohol-related crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period in Colorado, and law enforcement agencies made 668 DUI arrests statewide.
“St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays when we know a lot of people are drinking,” said Col. James Wolfinbarger, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “We want people to have a good time, but we’re also encouraging people to designate a sober driver before the first pint is poured. Make the right decision before you head to the bar by thinking about how you will get safely home. The last thing you want is to end up in jail and spend thousands of dollars on a bad decision.”
The average cost of a DUI is $10, 270, including fines, defense fees, and a big insurance premium increase.
“It’s no secret that it is a tradition for many to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with alcohol, but we don’t want that celebration to spill over behind the wheel,” said Pam Hutton, governor’s representative for Highway Safety at CDOT. “Many people don’t realize the costs involved if you drink and drive. First and foremost is the possible cost of a human life, but there are also major monetary expenses. It’s not worth it.”
CDOT will be reminding St. Patrick’s Day celebrators that a DUI amounts to spending a “pot o’ gold” with a float in the Denver and Colorado Springs St. Patrick’s Day parades on Saturday. There will also be teams of people visiting Irish pubs and bars to remind drinkers to designate a sober driver or take public transportation.
Colorado State Patrol Troop 4B-Fruita plans to conduct a sobriety checkpoint on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. The entire Colorado State Patrol and the following 72 police and sheriffs’ departments have planned increased patrols and saturations patrols throughout the enforcement period.
Adams County SO
Alamosa County SO
Arapahoe County SO
Arvada PD
Auraria Campus PD
Aurora PD
Basalt PD
Boulder County SO
Boulder PD
Brighton PD
Broomfield PD
Castle Rock PD
Cherry Hills Village PD
Colorado Springs PD
Commerce City PD
Cortez PD
Crested Butte MO
Denver PD
Dillon PD
Douglas County SO
Durango PD
Eagle County SO (Gore Range DUI Task Force)
Edgewater PD
El Paso County SO
Erie PD
Estes Park PD
Evans PD
Firestone PD
Fort Collins PD
Fort Lupton PD
Fort Morgan PD
Fountain PD
Fraser/Winter Park PD
Frederick PD
Fremont County SO
Gilcrest PD
Gilpin County SO
Glenwood Springs PD
Grand Junction PD
Greeley PD
Greenwood Village PD
Idaho Springs PD
Jefferson County SO
Kiowa County SO
Lafayette PD
Lakewood PD
Larimer County SO
Littleton PD
Logan County SO
Longmont PD
Loveland PD
Mancos MO
Manitou Springs PD
Mesa County SO
Minturn PD
Montezuma County SO
Monument PD
Northglenn PD
Pagosa Springs PD
Pueblo County SO
Pueblo PD
Rio Blanco County SO
Saguache County SO
Steamboat Springs PD
Sterling PD
Summit County SO
Walsenburg PD
Washington County SO
Weld County SO (Task Force)
Westminster PD
Wheat Ridge PD
Woodland Park PD
###
bear kay
Colorado State Patrol
303.239.5774
303.594.2580/Cell
700 Kipling St.
Denver, CO 80215
bear.kay@cdps.state.co.us
Don't talk, just drive and buckle up!
Submitted by:
Trooper Ryan Sullivan
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)