Welcome to July, the month that racks up the most impaired driving crashes in Colorado. The Fourth of July, meanwhile, remains the most significant holiday for those violent crashes, the Colorado State Patrol says.
Over four years, from 2021 through 2024, Colorado State Patrol troopers have investigated over 2,450 fatal and injury crashes determined to be caused by impaired drivers. Year after year, the number of impairment-related crashes expands during the warmer months, with the peak month for impaired crashes being July, according to the CSP.
“Last July, troopers investigated 12 impaired driving fatal crashes that resulted in the loss of 13 people. An additional 32 people were left with serious injuries during this month from impaired drivers,” said Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew C. Packard in a news release. “We are imploring people who have risked taking substances and driving in the past to change their behavior,” said Packard, noting driving while impaired has long-term consequences beyond just getting a citation.
“Driving intoxicated is literally rolling the dice with your license, your freedom and your life,” Packard said.
In 2024, Independence Day tied for the most common holiday that Colorado State Troopers responded to investigate a crash (property, injury or fatal) involving an impaired driver, according to the news release.
- New Year’s and Fourth of July (22 each)
- Halloween (17)
- Labor Day and Christmas (16 each)
“You have the freedom to choose your sober driver,” said Packard. “When you fail to do your part, and your driving behavior concerns an officer to pull you over, the consequences will be life-changing. A DUI conviction leads to a criminal record and generally is not eligible to be expunged.”
In addition, DUIs become a matter of public record, meaning information is accessible to the public. A DUI conviction also impacts your driving record. Therefore, DUI convictions can impact many aspects of your life when a background check or driving record is required, the news release states.