DENVER — A new Colorado Department of Transportation study is aiming to learn whether or not easily accessible data for intoxication will help prevent drivers convicted of DUI offenses from getting behind the wheel while drunk.
CDOT officials are recruiting first-time offenders to utilize a smartphone device to measure their blood alcohol content to measure whether or not it helps prevent repeat offenses.
“Impaired driving is a major traffic safety issue in Colorado and a number of those charged with DUIs are repeat offenders,” said Sam Cole, CDOT Communications Manager. “We want to know if having a tool on hand that provides information about your level of impairment prevents you from getting behind the wheel.”
The problem is pervasive in Colorado, with over 21,000 reported DUI arrests in 2016 alone. Of those arrests, 40 percent of the suspects were previous offenders.
In 2016, CDOT first experimented with smartphone breathalyzers, learning 84 percent of those involved in the program said it would help reduce the risk of committing a DUI offense.
Colorado is partnered with BACtrack, a company that creates breathalyzers, to provide hundreds of participants in Adams, Jefferson and Weld Counties with the devices.
Those interested in applying can tap here to learn more.
