(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — Just ahead of the Labor Day Weekend celebrations, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) conducted a traffic surge across the Pikes Peak Region on Friday, Aug. 29, targeting speeding and reckless driving.
According to EPSO, during the early morning operation, 98 traffic stops were made, with 67 citations issued, including:
- 58 for speeding, with the highest speed being 101 mph in a 65 mph zone.
- Three for careless driving, including one for failure to move over for an emergency vehicle.
- One for reckless driving.
- Two for expired registration.
- One for driving without a license.
- Two for no insurance.
EPSO said that while performing stops, deputies encountered a variety of excuses for driving recklessly, such as one driver, when caught going 71 mph in a 35 mph construction zone, saying, “I’m late for work; can you give me a warning? I must get going.” Another driver said, “Are you really going to write me a ticket? It’s my birthday!”
Deputies concentrated on DUI enforcement in the evening, and EPSO said that the operation resulted in two arrests.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Labor Day weekends see an increase of as much as 40 percent more drunk driving crashes, making it one of the deadliest holidays to travel. Statistics also show that drunk driving deaths have risen 31 percent over the past decade. Thousands of lives are lost due to impaired drivers each year, despite public awareness campaigns…