(COLORADO) — From Sept. 14 through Oct. 25, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol will join forces with local law enforcement agencies for the Fall Festivals DUI enforcement period.

Spanning 41 days, this is the longest enforcement period of the year and will bring an increased presence of DUI patrols across the state. From Sept. 14 through Oct. 25, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Colorado State Patrol (CSP) will join forces with local law enforcement agencies for the Fall Festivals DUI enforcement period.

According to CDOT, there were 1,407 impaired driving arrests during the same enforcement period last year. Whether it’s a big football game or just a backyard barbeque with friends, CDOT encourages everyone in the community to plan a sober ride. 

So far in 2023, there have been 3,788 DUI arrests during heightened enforcement periods. Also to date there have been 148 traffic fatalities from crashes involving an impaired driver.

“That’s 148 people that won’t make it home to their families,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, Colorado State Patrol Chief. “On a very basic and personal level, you need to ask yourself how you can get behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking alcohol or consuming drugs. Our enforcement efforts are one way to prevent impaired driving deaths, but this is an ongoing epidemic that can only be reversed when this choice becomes personal and you, your friends and your loved ones commit to sober driving.”

“No matter the time of year or occasion, you should never be in the driver’s seat if you are under the influence of any substance,” said CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk. “We are doing our part to keep Colorado roads safe; do your part and choose a sober ride every time.”