The Heat Is On Nets More than 7,400 DUI Arrests in 2015, CDOT Reports

January 16, 2016

The Heat Is On Nets More than 7,400 DUI Arrests in 2015, CDOT Reports

The Heat Is On Nets More than 7,400 DUI Arrests in 2015, CDOT Reports

Throughout 2015, Colorado law enforcement agencies used funding from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to turn up the heat on drunk drivers during 12 specific, highly visible DUI enforcement periods as part of their ongoing The Heat Is On campaign.

These targeted enforcement periods, many of which were scheduled to coincide with festive holidays like Labor Day, July 4th and New Year’s Eve, reportedly netted a total of 7,376 DUI arrests over the course of 2015, according to the latest report from CDOT.

While these numbers may seem high:

  • They represent only a fraction of the drunk driving arrests made in Colorado in 2015. On average, Colorado sees about 30,000 DUI arrests annually.
  • They actually represent a roughly 5.7 percent decrease from the number of DUI arrests made as part of The Heat Is On campaign in 2014, when 7,825 people were arrested for alleged drunk driving.

A Breakdown of the Arrest Numbers

Taking a closer look at the DUI arrests from the 2015 The Heat Is On crackdown, CDOT officials noted that the following periods were those that saw the most drunk driving arrests last year:

  • Spring Events: 1,870 DUI arrests
  • Fall Festival: 1,486 DUI arrests
  • Labor Day: 1,030 DUI arrests

As for the other enforcement periods run as part of last years The Heat Is On campaign, here’s a look at those numbers (with the periods listed in order of most to least DUI arrests made):

  • The Office Holiday Party Periods: 569 DUI arrests
  • New Year’s Eve: 396 DUI arrests (Note: these numbers have been updated by CDOT since we posted this blog.)
  • Memorial Day Weekend: 301 DUI arrests
  • July 4th Weekend: 288 DUI arrests
  • Thanksgiving: 283 DUI arrests
  • Halloween: 269 DUI arrests
  • St. Patrick’s Day: 137 DUI arrests
  • Checkpoint Colorado: 87 DUI arrests
  • Super Bowl Weekend: 85 DUI arrests.

“We want everyone to know that driving impaired is not worth the risks in any circumstance,” Col. Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), has stated in regards to The Heat Is On campaign.

Darrell Lingk, CDOT’s Transportation Safety Director, has expressed similar views, remarking that:

CDOT, CSP and local law enforcement will continue The Heat Is On campaign in 2016 to ensure the safety of all drivers on the road… In addition, CDOT will introduce a new education campaign this summer about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Contact a Denver & Boulder DUI Lawyer at the Griffin Law Firm

Have you been charged with a misdemeanor or felony DUI in Colorado? If so, you can turn to the Denver & Boulder DUI lawyer at Griffin Law Firm for experienced help and the best possible defense. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the criminal justice system, our attorney understands the complexities of the system, the challenges different defendants can face and the best ways of overcoming these challenges to bring criminal cases to successful resolutions.

To receive a complete evaluation of your case, along with professional advice regarding your best options, contact us by calling (303) 280-1070 or by emailing us using the contact form at the top of this page.

Categories: DUI, DUI News