Last December, Colorado State Troopers responded to 584 crashes due to drivers thinking they were safe enough to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs. They were wrong, some of them were dead wrong.
The Colorado State Patrol is urging Colorado drivers to plan for sober rides. You can’t drive safely if you’re impaired. And, impaired drivers can’t accurately assess their own impairment – which is why if you plan on using alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines, or any potentially impairing drug–prescribed or over-the-counter medications, you need to plan for a sober ride.
"Every day of the year, our troopers are looking for signs of impairment to keep irresponsible drivers off Colorado roadways. We also participate in 16 annual multi-agency events with the Heat is On campaign," said Col. Matthew C. Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Enforcement is meant to keep our communities safe and deter drivers from making the poor decision to drive impaired. Sadly, the data shows thousands of people still fail to make a plan for a sober ride."
Planning is easier than ever with the options available today. Whether it is ride-sharing (Lyft, Uber), calling a taxi, finding a designated driver, staying over at the party location, or passing on alcohol or drugs – you can avoid driving under the influence. It's a choice.