NoCo: Drive Safe This Halloween and Look Out For Children
Holidays are fun, and they're made even better when it feels like the whole community is coming together to celebrate in the fun.
However, having fun also comes with responsibilities. With Halloween coming on Sunday, the Colorado Department of Transportation has issued an important reminder to stay safe and aware over the weekend.
As you should all of the time if we're being honest.
But, with trick-or-treaters, kids, and families, all out and about, we owe it to each other to be as diligent as we can when traveling around town.
According to the release from CDOT, officers will be running a weekend DUI program called "The Heat is on Halloween" from Oct. 29 to Nov.1. In the release, they sourced the National Highway Safety Administration saying that nearly half of the fatal crashes that happen on Halloween involve a drunk driver.
The same source also provided information to bolster the importance of driving safe around children: kids are three times more likely to be struck by a drunk driver on Halloween than on any other normal day of the year.
Additionally, CDOT says they've seen a 15% jump from 2020 in crashes that have involved an impaired driver.
According to Chief Matthew Packard with Colorado State Patrol, they've made numerous amounts of arrests of impaired drivers in 2021.
During the 2021 DUI enforcement periods, law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 3,700 impaired drivers on our roadways.
Chief Packard encourages Coloradans that officers are aware and prepared to stop impaired drivers at several enforcement points throughout the state.
Drive safe, Colorado, and have a happy Halloween.