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Fall DUI enforcement campaign starts

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is ready to crank up the heat on drunk drivers with the statewide Fall Festivals DUI enforcement period. Working with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies, CDOT's The Heat Is On campaign started on Sept. 11 and will continue until Monday, Oct. 26.

The DUI enforcement arrives on the heels of the Labor Day enforcement period, where 74 law enforcement agencies arrested 939 people between Aug. 21 and Sept. 8, according to preliminary data.

"Even one alcohol- or drug-impaired driver is one too many and serves as a reminder of the importance of education and enforcement," said Darrell Lingk, director of CDOT's Office of Transportation Safety. "CDOT's The Heat Is On campaign helps keep Coloradans safe from those that act irresponsibly and put others at risk."

CSP Col. Scott Hernandez said, "With the arrival of fall, we tend to see an increase in impaired driving due to alcohol-related events like Oktoberfest and football season, among other factors. We realize people want to have a good time, and that is fine, but drinkers must be responsible and never get behind the wheel impaired."

CDOT held events in downtown Denver over Labor Day weekend to educate people on how to drink safely and to give them a chance to try out a smart phone breathalyzer app. To view a short video that recaps the Labor Day events, visit: https://youtu.be/Up5AcJ4YH34.To view the promo video for the Labor Day events, visit: https://youtu.be/kYMieIK-efw

"A breathalyzer is an informative tool to help people realize when they've exceeded their limit to drive, and Uber is great way to get home safely without ever getting behind the wheel," said Sam Cole, Safety Communications Manager at CDOT.

The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 12 specific high visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. More details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips can be found at HeatIsOnColorado.com.