For most of us, the Super Bowl is a time to relax with friends and enjoy the big game. But during this most recent Super Bowl weekend, many Colorado State Patrol troopers and Greeley police were not at parties. They were patrolling the streets and highways, looking for drivers to pull over and charge with OWI (DUI).
Things like the Heat Is On Super Bowl campaign happen during virtually every holiday weekend throughout the year. For every major holiday, law enforcement goes on the hunt for alleged drunk or high drivers. There is a reason for this. OWI-related car accidents tend to go up during holiday periods.
Fatal car accidents related to impaired driving almost always happen much more often than average around those holidays. The increased risk ranges from 129 percent above average on New Year’s to 54 percent higher than average over Memorial Day weekend. All of these holidays involve gatherings and alcohol. We all know that driving while impaired can raise the risk of a serious crash.
Errors police sometimes make
While there might be more impaired drivers in and around Greeley on holidays, the fact that the police are so aggressively pursuing arrests can mean they make mistakes and violate your rights. For example, an officer must have a reasonable, articulable suspicion that you are breaking the law before they can pull you over. If they pulled you over for any other reason, you might be able to get any evidence collected during the stop, such as the results of a breath test or field sobriety test, thrown out in court.
