Boo! 375 DUI Arrests in Colorado Over Halloween Weekend

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 375 drivers in the state were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence throughout Halloween weekend. That's a huge increase from the same weekend last year. And the numbers are also way up for for busts over what CDOT refers to as its "Fall Festivals DUI Enforcement Period," with law enforcement agencies averaging a staggering 47 driving-under-the-influence arrests per day during that span.

CDOT figures don't break down the number of arrests for alcohol, drugs or a combination thereof.

During Halloween weekend in 2016, records show that 325 DUI arrests took place. This year's total is fifty higher — a boost of more than 15 percent.

The top arresting organization on Halloween weekend was the Colorado State Patrol, with 68 arrests for DUI, followed by the Colorado Springs Police Department (29) and the Denver Police Department (28).

The aforementioned Fall Festivals DUI Period preceded Halloween, stretching from September 15 to October 23. The total number of impaired drivers arrested: 1,837, as compared to 1,498 over the same interval last year — just shy of 23 percent more.

The Colorado State Patrol topped the fall fest rankings, too, with 309 arrests. The DPD (170), the CSPD (188) and the Greeley Police Department (69) finished second, third and fourth, respectively.

In a statement, Colonel Scott Hernandez, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said, "Impaired driving is an issue that we take very seriously. We have zero tolerance for people who drive impaired, and our goal is to arrest any individual who drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol on our roadways."

The next enforcement period under "The Heat Is On" banner is scheduled to get under way on November 17 and continue for ten days that encompass the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, 522 drivers were arrested for DUI in this period. Authorities no doubt hope the mark won't be exceeded, but given what happened this Halloween, they're probably expecting that it will.