2015 was the second year of a new era of impaired driving in Colorado. In an attempt to document the trends, Colonel Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol ordered the specific tracking of marijuana related citations beginning in January of 2014. A summary of the 2015 DUI/DUID data is as follows.

• 4,546 citations were issued for DUI/DUID driving actions.

• 347 citations were issued for DUID driving actions where marijuana was the only indicator.

• 665 citations were issued for DUI/DUID driving actions were marijuana was one of the indicators.

• The 12 month average for DUI/D citations related to marijuana increased from 12.2% in 2014 to 14.6% in 2015. However, the total number of DUI/D citations related to marijuana decreased by 1.3% in 2015 as compared to 2014.

• 70% of the 2014 DUI/DUID citations issued were the result of proactive motorist contacts.

When asked about the 2015 data Colonel Hernandez said, “The efforts made in 2015 highlight the Colorado State Patrol’s continued commitment to the citizens of Colorado to ensure safe travel throughout our state. I am proud of these efforts and will continue to work with our troopers to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors of our wonderful state.” To date, the CSP has trained every trooper, corporal, and sergeant in the Colorado State Patrol in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and has 64 Drug Recognition Experts (DRE).

In 2016 CDOT’s Drive High, Get a DUI campaign will continue to educate the public about the dangers of driving high and the legal consequences of doing so,” says Amy Ford, CDOT spokesperson. “Our research indicates that unfortunately a lot of marijuana users are driving high and many believe they will not get a DUI for doing so. Our goal is to keep our roadways safe from impaired drivers, which will take a combination of strong enforcement and public education targeted at marijuana users.” A recent CDOT survey found that 55% of marijuana users drove a vehicle within two hours of consuming it. Only 51% of users thought they would get a DUI if they drove high.

[sociallocker id=17897]As the Colorado State Patrol enters 2016, we are encouraged by the continued efforts made throughout the state by every law enforcement officer to reduce the number of impaired drivers making the decision to drive on Colorado roadways. In 2016, the Colorado State Patrol will continue to collect data and investigate trends that will enable our agency to better adapt to the rapidly changing impaired driving attitude in Colorado.[/sociallocker]

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