As football fans prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX, law enforcement agencies are cracking down on drunken drivers in Colorado.
Increased DUI enforcement will run from 6 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Monday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or prescription or illegal drugs.
“We know that no matter who plays in the Super Bowl, people are heading to house parties, bars and restaurants to enjoy the game,” said Col. Scott Hernandez, chief of the State Patrol. “CSP and our law enforcement partners throughout the state are committed to being on the lookout for impaired drivers and getting them off the roads as quickly as possible.”
Super Bowl weekend is one of 12 enforcement periods that CDOT promotes each year, during which law enforcement agencies intensify their patrols and increase DUI checkpoints.
According to CDOT, 327 impaired-driving arrests were made during Super Bowl weekend in 2014. The State Patrol recorded 63 arrests, and Denver and Aurora police recorded 40 and 34, respectively.
Officials pointed to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting 142 alcohol-related deaths in Colorado in 2013. This month, CDOT reported 153 deaths in 2014.
