Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer and the summer travel season. It’s also the start of an aggressive anti-drunk driving campaign in Colorado.
All this week law enforcement agencies across Colorado have been increasing enforcement of seat belt and child passenger safety laws. That crackdown ends Sunday. On Friday a new effort begins. It’s the Colorado Department of Transportation’s annual 100 Days of Heat summer campaign. C-DOT Spokeswoman Heather Halpape says these crackdowns occur each summer because that period is the most deadly on Colorado’s roadways.
“We see a higher number of fatalities and alcohol and drug related fatalities over the summer months. Last year 150 people were killed throughout the state during the entire year. About 40% of those happened between Memorial and Labor Day,” says Halpape.
While law enforcement will be out targeting impaired drivers, C-DOT emphasizes that these campaigns are more largely aimed at preventing people from drinking and driving in the first place. The 100 Days of Heat crackdown starts Friday and runs through Labor Day weekend in September and will include increased enforcement and sobriety checkpoints.
