DENVER — The countdown to 2024 has begun and Colorado State Patrol is hoping for a smooth ride into the new year for all drivers.
With the holiday, some will toast to the turn of a new year. CSP is asking for those who partake in holiday drinking to not get behind the wheel.
"Have your fun, but what we ask is have a plan to get home safely," CSP Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. "Have a backup plan in case that plan doesn’t work so that gives you two different ways of making sure that you’ve already made this decision before you’re impaired and you’re not thinking as clearly as you should be."
According to CSP data, DUI-related incidents have increased each year between 2019 and 2022.
In the last year, CSP found DUIs were the cause of 665 injuries and fatal crashes. This is an 18% increase from 2021.
In an effort to curb impaired drivers, CSP is staffing roads with a larger trooper presence.
"Any holiday, but New Year's is an especially harsh one for us with people driving impaired," trooper Cutler explained. "We have additional troopers that are going to out over this weekend looking for impaired drivers."
Cutler said off-duty troopers are brought in to work overtime hours to be dedicated to tracking impaired drivers. He said this allows on-duty troopers to be able to respond to crashes and other responsibilities as needed.
In addition to the increased patrol units, this is also the agency's first holiday season utilizing its statewide DUI team.
"We also have a dedicated statewide DUI team that goes around in certain areas that are particularly looking for impaired drivers," Cutler shared.
Cutler explained there's a great need for additional staffing in the final week of the year.
"We started this around Christmas time because you know people have holiday parties and it just continues to a peak where we have our New Year's Day," Cutler said.
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is offering free bus and rail service beginning New Year's Eve at 7 p.m. for those in need of complimentary transit.
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