Denver – As Coloradans prepare to hit the roads for the summer travel season, the Colorado State Patrol and law enforcement agencies across Colorado will embark on an unprecedented level of summertime DUI enforcement called "100 Days of Heat." The campaign includes additional enforcement periods and plans for more than 150 sobriety checkpoints between the Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. More than one-third of all alcohol-related fatalities in Colorado last year occurred between the two holidays.

The "100 Days of Heat" DUI enforcement begins Memorial Day weekend with more than 65 law enforcement agencies working overtime to conduct saturation and increased patrols to target roadways that are known DUI hot spots. At least 25 of those agencies are also participating in sobriety checkpoints over the long holiday weekend. In 2008, 38 percent of all traffic fatalities in Colorado involved alcohol, killing 211 people.

"Despite a continued decline in traffic fatalities in Colorado, there continues to be far too many deaths that could be avoided if people simply did not commit the crime of getting behind the wheel or riding their motorcycle after drinking alcohol," said Pam Hutton, governor’s representative for highway safety at the Colorado Department of Transportation. "We will continue to support the state’s law enforcement agencies with grants to increase DUI enforcement year-round."

Jefferson County led the state with 22 alcohol-related fatalities in 2008. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is one of 11 agencies receiving grants to conduct sobriety checkpoints throughout the summer.

"Our goal with sobriety checkpoints is not to arrest a large number of impaired drivers, but to serve as a very highly-visible deterrent to those who are tempted to drink and drive," said Sheriff Ted Mink, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. "Most drivers passing through the checkpoints realize that it's a minor inconvenience that can save lives. We will be working very hard throughout the summer to keep drunk drivers off our roadways and to arrest those who commit this deadly crime."

During the Memorial Day weekend, the Colorado State Patrol will also be implementing its "Colorado Target Zero" campaign with all of its uniformed officers, from the chief on down, working the roads throughout the four days. Their goal is to reduce most traffic fatalities in Colorado by 2025. As the Memorial weekend kicks-off summer holiday driving, the CSP will be highly visible to remind motorists to do their part in making Colorado's highways safer EVERY DAY to help them reach their long-range enforcement and education goals.

"Aggressive driving, speeding and impaired driving are unacceptable behaviors that put everyone at risk on our roadways," said Col. James Wolfinbarger. "We will be on the lookout in full-force for drivers who put themselves and others in danger. Slow down, calm down, plan ahead and buckle up so we can all have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend."

Many law enforcement agencies and troops have filed DUI enforcement plans for Memorial Day weekend, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday, May 22 and continues through 3 a.m. Monday, May 26th.