Colorado Places Where You're Most at Risk From Drunk Drivers

Freshly assembled data provides a new angle on Colorado places with the most arrests for intoxicated driving even as it offers fodder in the debate about whether stoned drivers are as big of a threat as drunk ones. Areas with the largest number of marijuana businesses tend to have among the lowest rates of filings for driving under the influence or driving while ability impaired in the state. Additionally, less populous regions are apt to have more per capita DUIs and DWAIs than counties with big cities and crowded highways.

The information comes courtesy of the Tiftickjian Law Firm, which has created an interactive map showing the number of DUI and DWAI filings in all 22 Colorado judicial districts; we've supplemented this breakdown with notes about the counties encompassed by each one, to help you more easily picture where the districts are located.

The map allows users to search for filings in 2017, as well as for those from between 2007 and 2016. For the purposes of this post, however, we've focused on this year's figures, to get a better sense about current problems.

As you'll see, the three judicial districts with the fewest DUIs and DWAIs per 1,000 residents in 2017 are Pueblo, Denver and Boulder — arguably the three counties in Colorado most closely tied with the booming marijuana business. Those with the highest number of DUIs, in contrast, are generally more rural areas outside the I-25 urban corridor.

And number one? Well, let's just say those of you heading to some of Colorado's most popular ski resorts had better keep your eyes peeled for motorists doing the weave.

Count down the judicial districts with the least and most DUI and DWAI filings below, complete with photos and links to each.

Number 22: Judicial District: 10 (Pueblo County)
Population: 163,348
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 432.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 2.6

Number 21: Judicial District: 2 (Denver County)
Population: 683,096
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 1940.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 2.8

Number 20: Judicial District: 20 (Boulder County)
Population: 319,177
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 951.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.0

Number 19: Judicial District: 18 (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln counties)
Population: 982,824
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 3023.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.1

Number 18 (tie): Judicial District: 4 (El Paso, Teller counties)
Population: 700,483
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 2381.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.4

Number 18 (tie): Judicial District: 13 (Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma counties)
Population: 80,297
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 269.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.4

Number 16: Judicial District: 1 (Jefferson, Gilpin counties)
Population: 571,049
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 1987.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.5

Number 15: Judicial District: 21 (Mesa County)
Population: 149,249
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 550.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.7

Number 14 (tie): Judicial District: 19 (Weld County)
Population: 284,876
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 1077.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.8

Number 14 (tie): Judicial District: 16 (Bent, Crowley, Otero counties)
Population: 29,668
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 114.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 3.8

Number 12 (tie): Judicial District: 11 (Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Park counties)
Population: 86,286
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 350.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 4.1
Number 12 (tie): Judicial District: 17 (Adams, Broomfield counties)
Population: 555,617
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 2267.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 4.1

Number 10 (tie): Judicial District: 8 (Larimer, Jackson counties)
Population: 334,184
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 1419.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 4.2

Number 10 (tie): Judicial District: 15 (Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers counties)
Population: 18,726
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 79.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 4.2

Number 8: Judicial District: 12 (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache counties)
Population: 46,097
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 203.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 4.4

Number 7: Judicial District: 7 (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel counties)
Population: 100,290
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 562.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 5.6

Number 6: Judicial District: 3 (Huerfano, Los Animas counties)
Population: 20,512
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 127.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 6.2

Number 5: Judicial District: 22 (Dolores, Montezuma counties)
Population: 28,092
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 196.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 7.0

Number 4: Judicial District: 14 (Grand, Moffat, Routt counties)
Population: 51,641
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 392.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 7.6

Number 3: Judicial District: 9 (Garfield, Pitkin, Rio Blanco counties)
Population: 82,386
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 647.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 7.9

Number 2: Judicial District: 6 (Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan counties)
Population: 67,996
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 547.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 8.0

Number 1: Judicial District: 5 (Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake, Summit counties)
Population: 100,690
# of DUI/DWAI Filing: 884.0
# of DUI/DWAI Filing per 1000 Population: 8.8