Football fans across Colorado cheered for their teams Sunday night, but state troopers stayed busy keeping impaired drivers off the roads. During a heightened DUI enforcement period tied to the big game, Colorado State Patrol made nine arrests for driving under the influence with zero alcohol-related crashes reported in their patrol areas.
The weekend operation, running February 7 through February 9, was part of the ongoing “The Heat Is On” campaign that puts extra officers on the streets whenever big drinking events roll around.
By the Numbers: What Troopers Saw on the Road
Colorado State Patrol released their full enforcement stats Monday morning:
- Total driver contacts: 149
- Roadside sobriety tests conducted: 10
- DUI arrests: 9
- Speeding tickets issued: 23
- Seatbelt violations: 3
- Other citations: 36
- Additional arrests (drugs, warrants, etc.): 5
Nine people taken off the roads before they could hurt someone. That’s nine potential tragedies prevented.
Troopers emphasized that no impaired-driving crashes occurred in the areas they heavily patrolled, a result they called “the real win of the weekend.”
Super Bowl Remains One of America’s Riskiest Nights for Drunk Driving
The numbers might look small compared to some holiday weekends, but law enforcement says Super Bowl Sunday consistently ranks among the deadliest days for alcohol-related crashes nationwide.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drunk-driving deaths spike dramatically on Super Bowl Sunday. In some years, more than 40 percent of all traffic fatalities on that day involve an impaired driver.
Colorado has seen the same pattern. During last year’s Super Bowl enforcement period, agencies statewide made 58 DUI arrests. The year before that, the number topped 70.
Even with fewer arrests this year in the reported areas, troopers say the visible presence of patrol cars works. Many would-be drunk drivers either stay home or find another ride when they see the extra enforcement.
How Colorado Pays for Extra Patrols
The “The Heat Is On” campaign is funded by the Colorado Department of Transportation and runs multiple times each year: Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day, summer weekends, Halloween, and the winter holidays.
Local police departments and sheriff’s offices also join in. While the numbers released Monday came specifically from Colorado State Patrol, agencies in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, and dozens of smaller towns were running their own saturation patrols all weekend.
Simple Ways Fans Kept Themselves (and Others) Safe
Thousands of Coloradans made the right call this weekend:
- Designating a sober driver before the first drink
- Using Uber, Lyft, or local taxi services
- Crashing on a friend’s couch instead of driving
- Calling family members for rides
Those choices matter. One drunk driver can change multiple lives in seconds.
Law enforcement repeatedly says the goal isn’t to ruin anyone’s fun. It’s to make sure everyone gets home alive.
The nine arrests prove some people still took the risk. The zero impaired crashes prove the enforcement is working.
What do you think: Are these crackdowns worth the overtime cost, or should police focus elsewhere? Sound off in the comments.
