Colorado DUI checkpoints are roadblocks where police stop and check drivers for signs of intoxication. In Colorado Springs, the police typically conduct these sobriety checkpoints on high-traffic streets during major holidays and events.
The most recent DUI checkpoints occurred on:
- St. Patrick’s Day weekend (March 17 – 19, 2023)
- Presidents Day weekend (February 17 – 20, 2023)
- Super Bowl Sunday (February 12, 2023)
- New Year’s Eve & Day (December 31, 2022 – January 1, 2023)1
Upcoming DUI checkpoints in Colorado Springs will likely occur:
- Memorial Day weekend (May 26 – 29, 2023)
- July Fourth weekend (June 30 – July 4, 2023)
- Labor Day weekend (September 1 – 4, 2023)
- Halloween (October 31, 2023)
- Thanksgiving weekend (November 23 – 27, 2023)
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) website posts advanced notice of upcoming sobriety checkpoints.
Do I have to stop at DUI checkpoints in Colorado Springs?
If you see a DUI sobriety roadblock in the distance, you may take an alternate route to avoid the checkpoint as long as you do not violate any traffic laws in the process. For example, you cannot make a U-turn over a median or drive in reverse, etc.
Once you arrive at the roadblock, you must follow the police’s directions. Sometimes they stop every vehicle. Sometimes they stop every other vehicle and wave the others through.2
How do the police check for DUI at checkpoints?
First the Colorado Springs police observe how well you follow directions, such as
- stopping your car,
- rolling down your window,
- answering questions, and
- getting your registration and insurance.
Meanwhile, the police are watching you for other signs of intoxication, such as:
- bloodshot eyes,
- slurred speech,
- an odor of alcohol or marijuana, or
- lack of coordination, such as dropping your driver’s license
Police will also ask if you have been drinking. If you admit that you have – or if you deny it but display any of the above signs – they will likely ask you to exit the car.
You can try to avoid going through a DUI checkpoint as long as you break no traffic rules doing so.
At that point, you will be asked to take a preliminary breath test on a roadside breathalyzer machine and to perform three standardized field sobriety tests:
- the walk-and-turn, where you take nine heel-to-toe steps back and forth while counting each step;
- the one-legged-stand, where you stand on one leg for 30 seconds while counting aloud; and
- the horizontal gaze nystagmus, where the police hold up a pen (or similar object), which you follow with your eyes
The preliminary breath test and field sobriety tests are all optional, so you are advised to politely decline to take them.3
Finally, the police will decide whether they have sufficient probable cause to arrest you for either:
- driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI),
- DUI per se,
- driving while ability impaired (DWAI), or
- underage drinking and driving (UDD).
Fortunately, there are many ways to try to beat a drunk driving charge in Colorado.
Legal References
- Actions matter — CDOT calls for smart decisions ahead of Presidents Day holiday DUI enforcement, Colorado Department of Transportation (February 16, 2023); Fans don’t let fans drive impaired: DUI enforcement kicks off game weekend, Colorado Department of Transportation (February 8, 2023). CDOT provides safe ride options ahead of New Year’s Eve DUI enforcement, Colorado Department of Transportation (December 28, 2022).
- See Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz (1990) 496 US 444; People v. Rister (1990) 8Orr v. People (1990) .
- DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, March 2015 Edition, Participant Guide. CRS 42-4-1301.
