Police often target holidays for more stringent crackdowns on drinking and driving. The Fourth of July weekend this year was one of those holiday weekends across Colorado where law enforcement agencies were out in full force. The enforcement period began on July 2 and ran through July 8. During that time, almost 100 agencies across the state made 535 arrests for drunk driving.

According to state police statistics, Colorado Springs had the third highest drunk driving arrest total in the state with 32. Denver led the way with 69 arrests while Aurora was second with 45. The heightened enforcement comes from saturation patrols in designated areas and checkpoints across many municipalities throughout the state.

The total number of 535 arrests is actually down from last year's 632 during the same enforcement period. A Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson reports that those numbers can fluctuate by up to 100 from year-to-year based on the number of agencies that actually participate. Available manpower is another factor that can affect the number of checkpoints that are set up. Police say that they will be out in an even stronger force during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

If Colorado Springs drivers get caught in one of these checkpoints across the state, it is important to get help from someone who is experienced in handling these cases within the criminal justice system in our state. If you are convicted of drunk driving, it can have a detrimental effect on you, your family and your career. Fortunately, help is available to press ahead with a strong defense aimed at protecting important legal rights while fighting for the best possible result.

Source: gazette.com, "Colorado Springs has third highest number of DUI arrests over July 4th enforcement period," Daniel Chacon, July 16, 2013