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Colorado State Patrol Reports: Pueblo Has Third-Highest Rate of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents in Nation
Description: The Colorado State Patrol Released the Following Statement Regarding the High Rate of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents in Colorado Cities...
The Worst Cities for Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes
Five Colorado Cities Among the Top 75
(Colorado) – A Philadelphia-based law firm found five Colorado cities are among the deadliest for drunk driving accidents, including one in the list’s top five.
According to the firm — Van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim — Pueblo has the third-highest rate of fatal drunk driving accidents of all U.S. cities. Colorado Springs was ranked 25 on the list, Aurora was ranked 28, Lakewood was 31, Thornton was 46, and Denver landed in the 49th spot. The firm used the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s fatality and injury reporting system tool, also known as FIRST, to rank the 300 largest cities in the country by the rate of drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 people. The study used data from 2018 through 2022, the most current available from the NHTSA.
“Very few people would disagree that driving impaired is an extremely reckless decision, yet our Colorado communities continue to see individuals risking their lives and others at exceptionally high rates,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “There seems to be a disconnect for some people that with this choice, they could take a life or permanently harm someone. It can happen that quickly, and there is no going back.”
Drivers convicted of DUI in Colorado are required to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Victim Impact Panel regardless of whether a crash was involved with their charges. The panel includes victims and survivors of impaired driving crashes and works to help driving offenders personalize and internalize the lasting effects of impaired driving.
“People who choose to drive under the influence need to be reconnected with their ability to feel empathy and loss with others,” explained Col. Packard. “It may not feel like it, but getting a DUI before a crash happens is a gift. You get a second chance to be a better neighbor, friend and citizen before you steal a life.”
The Colorado State Patrol is highlighting the consequences an average Colorado driver experiences after being convicted of DUI this holiday season as part of their “Don’t Underestimate Impairment” campaign. Making a good decision “in the moment” while already intoxicated is unlikely. Don’t underestimate the consequences of this choice, and plan ahead for a sober ride.
