NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO STATE PATROL
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COLO – Driving under the influence of impairing substances is a year-round issue for Colorado, where one in every three fatal crashes involves an impaired driver. Colorado State troopers consistently look for driving behaviors that signal potential impairment and monitor trends in fatal crash data. As we enter a holiday weekend, troopers are sounding the alarm that Colorado is trending in the wrong direction.
During the first quarter of 2024 (January - April), Colorado State Patrol troopers investigated 67 fatal crashes, with 36 per cent of these events involving an impaired driver. At the end of the first quarter of 2023, only 25 per cent of the fatal crashes involved an impaired driver.
As anticipated, the number of deaths that occurred due to impaired driving in the first quarter is also trending upward in 2024. In 2023, 22.6 per cent of all the first quarter fatalities occurred in a crash involving an impaired driver, but in 2024 36 per cent of all crash fatalities involved an impaired driver.
“For most of us, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, but for traffic safety professionals, it marks day 1 out of the 100 consecutive deadliest days on our roadways,” stated Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “The miles we travel in our vehicles often increase during these 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and our riskier driving behaviors are more prevalent.”
According to Colorado State Patrol crash data, crashes of all types (property, injury, and fatality) place impairment as the sixth most common cause. But when narrowing to just fatal crashes, impairment skyrockets to the number one cause. Looking at Colorado State Patrol investigated crashes, an impaired driver is four times (4x) more likely to be in a fatal crash rather than a property damage or injury crash.
“Risk-taking is comparable to gambling. Can you afford to live with the consequences of killing someone while you drive home from that party? Do you want to do more with your life or are you comfortable rolling the dice?” expressed Chief Packard. “These are serious and dark questions, but they are fair ones to ask before you get behind the wheel intoxicated. Find a sober ride, there are plenty of options.”
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