In Colorado, the percentage of deaths that were alcohol related peaked in 1983, with an extraordinarily high 65%. The actual number of alcohol related deaths peaked the year before with 422. Since then, fatalities in Colorado have steadily declined in both percentage and number, with the exception of 2000 and 2001, which had increases in both. Hopefully, the drunk driving deaths will continue to decline. In 2008, out of all traffic fatalities, 32% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.

All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The first (and original) offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a police officer's observations (driving behavior, slurred speech, the results of a roadside sobriety test, etc.)

The second offense is called "illegal per se", which is driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.

Year	Fatalities
	Tot	Alc-Rel	%	0.08+	%
1982	668	422	63	374	56
1983	646	418	65	356	55
1984	608	374	61	315	52
1985	579	316	55	279	48
1986	603	360	60	308	51
1987	591	291	49	249	42
1988	497	227	46	195	39
1989	527	247	47	222	42
1990	544	260	48	216	40
1991	543	280	51	245	45
1992	522	263	50	225	43
1993	559	235	42	210	38
1994	586	282	48	237	40
1995	645	304	47	257	40
1996	617	252	41	218	35
1997	613	229	37	197	32
1998	628	244	39	214	34
1999	626	229	37	194	31
2000	681	268	39	225	33
2001	741	328	44	281	38
2002	743	314	42	276	37
2003	632	246	39	221	35
2004	665	259	39	225	34
2005	606	244	40	213	35
2006	533	207	39	177	33
2007	554	199	36	170	31
2008	548	202	37	173	32

The table above shows the total number of traffic fatalities (Tot) for Colorado, alcohol related fatalities (Alc-Rel) and fatalities in crashes where the highest BAC in the crash was 0.08 or above (0.08+).

It is important to note that the Colorado drunk driving statistics, as shown above, include data from individuals who were in an alcohol-related crash, but not driving a motor vehicle at the time. The U.S. Department of Transportation defines alcohol-related deaths as "fatalities that occur in crashes where at least one driver or non-occupant (pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the crash has a positive Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) value."

Criminal status of DUI laws in Colorado

In Colorado, DUI and impaired offenses are misdemeanors, injury-related DUI offenses are class 4 felonies - Citation: §§18-1.3-401 & 18-3-205 ⁽²⁾

Sources for Colorado drunk driving information and statistics

US Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 12/02
⁽²⁾ National Conference of State Legislatures, 2004

National drunk driving statistics in the US...

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