With St. Patrick's Day, undoubtedly one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year, upon us again, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) troopers and local law enforcement agencies throughout the state are pulling out all the stops for yet another iteration of their DUI crackdown campaign, "The Heat Is On." From Friday, March 13th through the morning of Wednesday, March 18th, Colorado police will be patrolling state highways and major metro areas in force, on the lookout for possibly intoxicated drivers.
"We want motorists to see us everywhere," said CSP Captain Jeff Goodwin in an official statement. "This multi-agency focus into a densely populated area with thousands of drivers will save lives this weekend and that's what it's all about."
According to the Denver Post, authorities will be concentrating their DUI patrol efforts on the Denver metro area and "popular travel routes" like the Interstate 25 corridor. This heightened level of DUI enforcement will also focus on St. Patrick's Day parties and celebrations throughout the state, some of the likeliest potential sources of drunk drivers.
Police arrested 471 drivers for DUI in Colorado during last year's St. Patrick's Day enforcement period, a modest decline from the 486 arrests made in 2013.
If you plan on going out and celebrating the luck of the Irish this weekend, please remember to drink responsibly and always have a designated driver or cab ready to take you home. However, should you find yourself behind the wheel after having a few drinks and are cited by the police for DUI, contact The Orr Law Firm right away. A DUI charge can have you facing punishments such as fines, the loss of your license and even jail time. Our expert team of Colorado DUI lawyers can defend your case from the prosecution and minimize any negative outcome on your life as much as possible.