Colorado State Patrol is treating this year’s Big Game like New Year’s Eve on steroids. Extra troopers, more patrols, and zero tolerance for drunk drivers across the entire state this weekend.
The message is crystal clear: celebrate the game, but don’t be stupid behind the wheel.
Last Year’s Numbers Still Haunt Troopers
Colorado State Patrol arrested 52 impaired drivers during last year’s Big Game weekend alone. That single weekend accounted for one-sixth of their total DUI arrests for the entire year so far.
Sergeant Ivan Alvarado doesn’t sugarcoat it.
“That weekend is consistently one of our worst,” Alvarado told reporters this week. “We’re seeing the same dangerous behavior we see on Memorial Day or Fourth of July. People get caught up in the excitement, drink too much, and make terrible decisions.”
Statewide, Colorado has recorded 297 DUI arrests year-to-date through early February. The Big Game weekend numbers from 2024 matched the carnage troopers typically see over major summer holidays.
Every Corner of Colorado Will Feel the Presence
This isn’t just a Front Range operation.
Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, Durango, Fort Collins, and every highway in between will see additional patrols funded through CDOT’s impaired driving enforcement program.
“CDOT has partnered with every law enforcement agency in the state,” Alvarado explained. “You’ll see way more than the normal number of troopers out there. We’re not playing games.”
Local police departments are adding their own saturation patrols. The combined effort creates what troopers call “no safe route” for impaired drivers anywhere in Colorado.
The Human Cost Behind the Statistics
Behind every DUI arrest is a story that could have ended differently.
In 2023, Colorado recorded 745 deaths in traffic crashes. Impaired driving remained the leading cause for the third straight year.
One western slope family still feels that pain every day.
Their 19-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver leaving a Super Bowl party two years ago. The driver had three previous DUIs.
“People think ‘one more drink won’t hurt,'” the mother told local reporters last year. “It killed my daughter. It destroyed our family. Please don’t let it happen to yours.”
How to Celebrate Without Ruining Lives
Colorado State Patrol wants fans to have fun. They just want everyone to get home alive.
Their advice is simple but direct:
- Choose your sober driver before the first drink
- Use ride-share apps (the extra cost beats a DUI or worse)
- Host responsibly: offer plenty of food and non-alcoholic options
- Take keys from friends who have had too much
*If you see dangerous driving, call 277 immediately. Give location, direction, vehicle description, and behavior. Troopers respond faster when citizens help.
The Price of Getting Caught Keeps Climbing
Colorado’s penalties have gotten brutal, and for good reason.
First-time DUI now means:
- Up to $13,000 in fines and fees
- 9 months license suspension
- Possible jail time
- Mandatory alcohol classes
- Interlock device requirement for many offenders
Repeat offenders face felony charges and years in prison.
“People still think they’ll get a warning,” Alvarado said. “Those days are gone. We’re arresting everyone who blows over the limit. No exceptions.”
The crackdown starts Friday afternoon and runs through Monday morning. Troopers know exactly when the risky hours hit: right after the game ends and people start heading home.
Colorado State Patrol isn’t trying to ruin anyone’s fun. They’re trying to save lives.
Because somewhere out there, there’s a family that will never watch another Big Game together because someone made the wrong choice after the final whistle.
Don’t be that person.
What are you doing to stay safe this weekend? Drop your plans in the comments below. If you’re using ride-share or being the designated driver, tell us about it. Let’s show everyone how Colorado parties responsibly.
