It might not come as a surprise to many Colorado residents. Anyone who was out on the roads over the course of the Fourth of July holiday likely noticed an increase in the presence of law enforcement and DUI traps on the roads, from Denver to Colorado Springs and more cities throughout the state.
As we shared before the holiday hit, drivers needed to be warned that there was an intense crackdown on drunk driving going on in Colorado and the rest of the country. Law enforcement assumes that more drivers are driving drunk over the course of a holiday due to time off involving parties with alcohol. Whether people actually do drink more and drive drunk is one question, but what isn’t a question is whether more people are arrested for DUI in Colorado during these crackdown periods.
According to released numbers of DUI arrests that occurred during the Fourth of July week, more than 600 drivers became targets of Colorado law enforcement. Within Colorado, the city of Denver produced the highest number of drunk driving arrests, with 85 suspects arrested for allegedly driving under the influence. Colorado Springs had the next highest number, with 37 arrests.
These numbers reflect only the crackdown during the recent holiday week. But there has actually been a 100 day-crackdown underway in the state, beginning with Memorial Day weekend. Since that began, nearly 1,200 drivers have become DUI suspects in Colorado. Focus on supposed drunk driving is likely to continue at least through this month in the state, since last July was the most dangerous month with regards to drunk driving fatalities.
Law enforcement tends to always find a reason to try to increase the rate of DUI arrests. Focusing on the goal of arrest, however, can sometimes put innocent drivers at risk. No DUI arrest is minor enough to forego the assistance of a criminal defense attorney whom you trust.
Source: KMGH Denver, “Holiday DUI Crackdown Nets More Than 600 Drivers,” Thomas Hendrick, July 13, 2012