Colorado State Patrol warns drivers about DUIs, see more repeat offenders
The Colorado State Patrol wants everyone to know how dangerous driving under the influence can be. Drivers can injure or even kill another driver or a pedestrian on the street while intoxicated or compromised.
Colorado State Patrol troopers say not only are some drivers being charged for one DUI, but troopers are seeing issues where the same driver is getting more than one DUI.
For a first-time DUI, troopers say they will have to pay at least $13,000 in court fees and fines, have your vehicle impounded, license suspended for at least nine months and have an interlock device added to your vehicle. Drivers also have to pay the fees to have the interlock device installed in their vehicle. Troopers said that when a driver is pulled over for the same DUI offense, their fines will be doubled and charges increased.
On Tuesday morning, your CBS Colorado Mornings Traffic team responded to a crash at I-25 and C-470 around 6 a.m. The driver crashed into the side of the barrier after the Douglas County Sheriff's Office had to use force with their own vehicles to get this driver off the road.
Earlier the same morning, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the driver was driving on the wrong side of the highway. He was going 80 mph north in a southbound lane. Troopers later discovered the driver was traveling under the influence. Also, the same driver had seven prior DUI convictions and a suspended license.
Troopers say for instances like this, these drivers are called persistent drunk drivers. This is a driver with multiple DUI convictions, refuses a DUI chemical test after they are arrested, is a severely intoxicated driver with a blood alcohol content level of 0.15% or higher, and is a driver caught with a suspended license due to a previous DUI.
Troopers say anyone labeled a PDD will have the following requirements:
- Ignition Interlock Device—This must be installed (approximately $100) and maintained (between $50 - $75 a month) for at least two years before their license is fully reinstated.
- The court will require proof of SR-22 insurance coverage demonstrating financial responsibility, which must be maintained for at least two years.
- Completion of treatment and education for alcohol abuse, Level II.
- This level involves 24 hours of classes over 12 weeks.
- If the PDD is determined to be addicted, they may need to complete level 2 therapy. The number of hours will depend on the case, ranging from 42 to 86 hours.
- If the driver refuses a chemical test after arrest, they must complete 86 hours of therapy over 10 months.
Troopers say that because of these circumstances, these drivers create or even impact their criminal record, their auto insurance is increased, they will have employment issues, and even issues trying to travel abroad.
"It can impact your professional life," Trooper Gabriel Moltrer, Colorado State Patrol. "Many employers require you to have a valid driver's license, so if you are driving for a specific company and your license gets taken away because of a DUI, then you will not be able to drive. They will have to find somebody that can."
Troopers are reminding drivers of their enforcement underway from now until the New Year. This is their biggest one yet. Troopers will have extra enforcement to pull over and arrest drivers driving under the influence.
Troopers say if you come across a suspected drunk driver on the road, you should call them at *277. Make sure to include the vehicle's description and color, the direction they are traveling, and the actions they are taking.
