Halloween could turn into a real nightmare for those who choose to drink and drive. Law enforcement agencies across Colorado will be working overtime during the holiday period to arrest impaired drivers, reports the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The stepped up Heat is On enforcement begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 26 and continues until 3 a.m. on Thursday, November 1.

“Halloween should be a time for scary costumes, trick or treating with the kids and good family fun,” said Pam Hutton, CDOT governor’s representative for highway safety. “But unfortunately, Halloween has also become a very dangerous and deadly time of the year due to impaired driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.

In 2006, 217 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in Colorado. Three-quarter of those killed were men and nearly one in six were riding motorcycles. Seventeen percent of victims were under age 21.

"It is scary to think that some drivers cannot understand the very simple fact that if you drink, you don't drive," said Colonel Mark Trostel, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Driving impaired is no accident and when we catch you for driving impaired this Halloween or anytime, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses. Colorado law enforcement will be out in force conducting saturation patrols and other activities to save lives by getting more drunk drivers off our roadways."

The Colorado State Patrol and more than 60 agencies have filed plans for increased patrols and saturation patrols over the 6-day holiday enforcement period.

During last year’s Halloween crackdown, Colorado law enforcement agencies made 562 DUI arrests. DUI violators often face jail time, loss of their driver’s license, alcohol-treatment classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

For a safer Halloween weekend, CDOT and CSP recommend these simple tips:

• Designate your sober driver before going out and give that person your keys;
• If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to help get you home safely;
• Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against an impaired driver;
• If you know someone is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely;
• Motorists can report drunk and aggressive drivers by calling STAR-CSP (*277), a free cell phone call.