As thousands of motorcyclists headed to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally start riding across Colorado, state officials announced increased patrols on state roadways.

According to a Wednesday news release from the Colorado Department of Transportation, from Aug. 3 to 15, CDOT will partner with the Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies to increase DUI enforcement and keep impaired drivers off the road as motorcyclists across the country head to the 10-day South Dakota event.

Last year, Colorado officers made 308 DUI arrests during the same heightened enforcement period, the news release stated.

“If you are planning to drink, you also need to plan a sober ride,” Col. Matthew Packard, CSP chief, stated in the release. “We want Coloradans to enjoy summer activities but also remember to never drive impaired. Rally participants have a long ride ahead of them, and everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings at all times on the road.”

According to Wednesday’s release, most impaired crashes happen at night.

A 2023 CSP report showed that from January 2019 to April 2023, most impaired fatal, injury and property crashes occurred between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Since 2019, 4,644 crashes have happened at night in Colorado.

“With more people on our roads during the rally, it’s especially important to drive sober or plan a safe ride home,” CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety Director Darrell Lingk said. “It is up to all motorists and riders to remember the consequences and dangers of getting behind the wheel or handlebars under the influence.”

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