The new year has come, but there’s still time for sober-driving resolutions. Whether you’re calling a friend to come pick you up or you’re the friend answering the phone, start the conversation about impaired driving.

From Jan. 12th through the 25th, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies are kicking off the first of sixteen DUI enforcement periods this year with increased patrols. The campaign is called Winter Blitz DUI enforcement. 

There were 271 impaired driving fatalities on Colorado roads in 2022, an increase from the 255 lives lost in 2021. The counties with the highest number of fatalities involving an impaired driver were: Adams, El Paso, and Arapahoe counties.

“There is no reason to get behind the wheel while impaired,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Even if you think you are okay to drive, it only takes one poor choice to make a life-altering decision that can end in a fatal crash. The lives lost in 2022 due to impaired driving could have been spared. We need to do better this year — lives depend on it.”

Among the 736 fatalities on Colorado roads in 2022, impaired driving was a leading contributing factor, with alcohol being the most common drug involved.

“Take a moment this year to reflect on your choices and pledge to never drive impaired in 2023,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “Find a designated driver, a Lyft or Uber, whatever it is — just make sure your ride to and from your destination is safe and sober.”  

The recent New Year’s Eve enforcement period saw 143 arrests across 77 participating agencies. The agencies with the highest number of arrests were Colorado State Patrol (32), Colorado Springs Police Department (23) and Fort Collins Police Department (8). The total number of DUI arrests from 2022 heightened enforcement periods was 4,507.

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.

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Dan R

Danny “Dan R” Ridenour has been in radio and television broadcasting for over 40 years, starting as a senior in high school in Rogers, Arkansas. His radio career has had stops in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, and eventually, Colorado. Dan enjoys being involved in the community, having been a member of the Upper Arkansas Service Club and is currently on the board of directors for the Salida Community Center and is a member of the Chaffee County Fair Committee. He and his wife Carrie spend their days doing everything the mountains have to offer: hiking, camping, fishing and skiing. They've raised 3 children and have 2 grandchildren.

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