Drinking and driving in Colorado during Fourth of July holiday weekend means jail time
As many plan to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend by bar hopping or drinking at a loved one's home, local law enforcement is reminding drivers to be smart before deciding to get behind the wheel. The Colorado State Patrol, alongside 66 law enforcement agencies across the state, will be adding extra patrols to watch out for impaired drivers.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Gabriel Moltrer met with Your First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod about this ongoing enforcement. Moltrer said from Wednesday, July 3 until Monday, July 8, law enforcement across Colorado will add saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and additional law enforcement dedicated to arresting impaired drivers. During the last Fourth of July weekend enforcement period in 2023, 167 people were arrested for DUIs.
In July 2023, there were 91 traffic fatalities in Colorado; 24 involved a suspected impaired driver. Moltrer tells CBS Colorado July 2023 was the deadliest month of 2023. The Colorado Department of Transportation says they are seeing the highest number of driving under the influence calls for drivers between 25 to 34 years old.
Colorado State Patrol tells CBS Colorado when you decide to drink and drive, you put yourself and others at risk.
"Your driving behavior isn't only affecting yourself; you could be affecting everybody that's next to you," Moltrer said. "This is in front of you. This is behind you while you are on that road. Your driving is going to impact the entire highway or interstate."
Trooper Moltrer recommends taking away your loved one's keys if you notice they are drinking too much. Encourage them to get a sober driver or a ride-sharing service like Uber, taxi or public transportation. Troopers are reminding everyone that if you are a host, you could be held liable if a guest you serve alcohol to gets into a crash.
