DENVER Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and 71 law enforcement agencies across the state are preparing for the state's first driving under the influence (DUI) enforcement period of 2025. Colorado law enforcement will conduct a DUI enforcement period, called The Heat Is On Winter Blitz, from Jan. 9 through Jan. 22, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced. CDOT will be assisting law enforcement during the blitz.During the enforcement period, drivers could see additional law enforcement personnel and sobriety checkpoints. Despite so many sober alternatives, there were more than 14,000 DUI arrests in our state last year, said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, in a statement. Colorado law enforcement remains dedicated to removing impaired drivers from our roads. Dont ruin your wintertime fun with a DUI or life-altering crash. Ensure a sober ride home is always part of your plans.According to CDOT, 203 people died on Colorado roads in a crash that involved an impaired driver in 2024. Those deaths accounted for 30% of all traffic deaths last year, according to CDOT. 2024's death toll was an 11% decrease in deaths involving an impaired driver compared to 2023. 2024 also marked the lowest reported number of fatalities involving impairment since 2019, according to CDOT. According to CDOT, the counties with the highest number of deaths involving an impaired driver in 2024 were El Paso (26), Adams (25), Weld (24) and Denver (18). During last year's Winter Blitz enforcement period, 451 people were arrested for DUI across the state. Driving under the influence of alcohol and cannabis impairs reaction time and drastically increases the chance of a crash or serious injury. Dont risk a DUI arrest or crash choose a sober ride, said CDOTs Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk in a statement. Prioritize safety this year. Colorado motorists, passengers and pedestrians are counting on you to make responsible choices behind the wheel.More than 80 Colorado law enforcement agencies patrolled the streets for potentially impaired drivers on New Year's Eve. CDOT said there were 164 arrests during that operation, with CSP reporting 49. According to CDOT, the agencies with the highest arrests for DUI on New Year's Eve were the Longmont Police Department (12), Westminster PD (11), Fort Collins Police Services (10) and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office (10). Colorado law enforcement is planning to conduct another DUI enforcement period around Super Bowl Weekend from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12.