Colorado road users should offer a tip of the cap to our law enforcement agencies who participated in a statewide campaign called “The Heat Is On New Year’s Eve,” which aimed to take drunk drivers off the road. The campaign consisted of 12 enforcement periods over the course of 2016, with the finale taking place on the New Year’s holiday.
All told, between Dec. 30, 2016, and Jan. 3, 2017, 272 drivers were arrested on DUI charges. The Denver Police Department recorded 17 of the arrests. The Aurora Police Department nabbed 30 violators and the Colorado Springs Police Department took 23 intoxicated drivers off the road.
Such efforts are laudable and the Colorado Department of Transportation is planning to continue employing the means by which drunk drivers can be kept off the road, including a number of similar DUI enforcement periods.
And CDOT has plenty of motivation for keeping the heat on intoxicated drivers. According to preliminary data, last year 197 people lost their lives in impaired driving accidents throughout the state. And sadly, this was an increase from 182 such fatalities in 2015.
Drunk drivers pose a serious threat to everyone on or near our roadways. A serious collision could leave victims in need of long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation. And sometimes, as the numbers bear out, an intoxicated driver-related accident can be fatal.
If you or someone in your family has been injured by a drunk driver, it is imperative that you receive compensation that covers as many of your expenses as possible. An experienced personal injury attorney can be your representative to better ensure your best possible outcome when filing your claims with insurance companies.
Source: Fort Morgan Times, “New year means big problems for 272 impaired drivers,” Jan. 8, 2017
