Final blast of Colorado DUI heat set for Labor Day weekend

While summer is coming to an end, it’s going to go out in a blaze of Labor Day weekend fun, as people hit the road to attend family get-togethers, picnics, parties with friends, barbeques and more.

But Colorado law enforcement officials warn that their “100 Days of Heat” DUI crackdown will come to a conclusion as well this weekend, with perhaps the most intensive DUI enforcement effort yet.

More than 90 law enforcement agencies have joined the Colorado State Patrol in increasing DUI efforts from Aug. 17 through Sept. 4. They say at least 10 DUI checkpoints are planned across the state, in addition to rolling patrols.

“Heat is On” is part of a national DUI campaign, including over 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The Labor Day weekend drunk driving effort isn’t new. Last year’s national campaign resulted in police making 1,442 arrests for driving while impaired.

Here in Colorado, there were 25,789 DUI arrests in all of 2011.

AAA Travel says it expects an increase in the numbers of travelers this weekend when compared to Labor Day of last year. The organization predicts 33 million Americans will drive at least 50 miles this weekend, up about 2.9 percent over last year.

Top destinations include Denver, New York City, Orlando, Las Vegas and Seattle, according to AAA.

The group said this will be the third big holiday in a row with increased travel, following increases earlier this year for the Fourth of July and Memorial Day.

Our criminal defense law firm handles DUI/DWI cases. For more information, visit our Colorado Springs driving under the influence of alcohol page.

Source: Fruita Times, “Mesa County joins DUI crackdown,” Aug. 30, 2012