Law enforcement officers in Colorado are cracking down on driving under the influence, running a new campaign that has been named “The Heat is On.” It started on April 6 and will not end until May 14.
This is the second year in a row that the state has increased their efforts in the spring. Back in 2016, they caught 1,555 people who were driving under the influence. In 2017, the first year that the new campaign was used, they caught 1,958. That significant jump encouraged them to use it again in 2018.
The reasons they picked spring are many. For one thing, there is a lot of drinking at graduation parties, which typically happen in the spring. As people travel from one party to the next, that can lead to an increase in drunk driving and drugged driving.
Authorities are also targeting concerts and baseball games. The baseball season just started, and people often drink at the games, at bars while watching on TV or even just at their own homes. Concerts still happen all year around, but the end of winter may bring on more outdoor activities or at least encourage people to travel more.
Finally, it should be noted that the campaign does not just focus on alcohol. Colorado defines driving under the influence as operating a motor vehicle after using alcohol, drugs or marijuana. It may be legal to use recreational marijuana, but that does not mean people can drive after using. Since April 20 — or 4/20 — falls in the middle of the campaign, they are also seeking drugged drivers.
Those who are arrested during this period of heightened DUI enforcement must know what legal options they have.
