Fourth of July Holiday Weekend Means Deadly Roads In Colorado
Did you know the Fourth of July holiday is one of the deadliest holidays of the year in Colorado?
Impaired Driving Fatalities Up In the Summer
Traffic volume is always heavy during the holiday travel period and unfortunately, a certain number of drivers make the fateful decision to drink and drive. The Colorado Department of Transportation says unbuckled and impaired driving fatalities trend upward during the summer months.
27 Fourth of July Holiday Deaths In Colorado In Three Years
Last year, 9 people died on Colorado roads over the Fourth of July holiday making 27 traffic deaths over the last 3 years. Comparatively, in the last three years, six people died during the New Year's Day period, , 4 over Memorial Day weekend, and 11 over the Labor Day weekend.
So far in 2022, there have been 300 deaths on Colorado roads. That is up just slightly from a year ago at this time when there had been 295 traffic fatalities. Nearly half of Colorado's traffic deaths have occurred in the Denver area.
DUI Enforcement In Full Swing This Weekend
DUI enforcement will be in full swing in Colorado over the holiday weekend. Nearly 50 law enforcement agencies across the state will be increasing patrols, which may include DUI checkpoints or saturation efforts in certain areas.
Meanwhile, CDOT is reminding motorists of the importance of buckling up this weekend. Surprisingly, about 14% of Colorado drivers don't wear a seatbelt, which is higher than the national average of 10%. The most recent Click It or Ticket enforcement period yielded a total of 907 citations that were issued.
Don't Take A Chance
This is just a reminder and an admonition to not drink and drive this holiday weekend. The potentially fatal consequences are not worth it. It's not only your life that is in jeaopardy, but the lives of everyone else on the road. Additionally, buckling up could be the difference between life and death. It's possible you won't ever "need" your seatbelt, but is that a chance you are willing to take?
Drive safe this weekend, my friend. Let's celebrate America and let's all do what we can to make it through the weekend alive.
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