The Colorado State Patrol recently announced that it arrested 81 drivers in Colorado Springs on charges of drinking and driving as a result of a recent crackdown conducted from Aug. 17 through Sept. 4. The arrests were a part of a state-wide effort that resulted in the arrests of 900 Colorado drivers in total. In addition to the 81 Colorado Springs drivers, the anti-drunk driving campaign saw the arrest of 100 drivers in Denver and 55 drivers in Aurora.

Even though that campaign completed on Sept. 4, a new drunk driving enforcement campaign is currently underway for the period of Sept. 14 through Oct. 22. The reason for the two campaigns during this time frame is because the September to October period saw 37 alcohol-caused roadway fatalities last year and represented 32 percent of all vehicle fatalities during the time period.

The Director of the Office of Transportation Safety at the Colorado Department of Transportation commented that the time of year shouldn’t matter. Drivers should always be responsible and refrain from driving when they are intoxicated. The director further stated that “with a number of accessible alternatives to driving, there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel impaired.”

While it may be true that 900 drivers were arrested and accused of driving while intoxicated in Colorado during the last month, it is not necessarily true that all of these drivers are guilty of the offense. Indeed, it will be up to a criminal law court to determine guilt in these cases and — until that happens — the drivers will be able to defend themselves against the charges.

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