Jefferson County Steps Up DUI Patrols Ahead Of Thanksgiving

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — The Jefferson County Sheriff's office is stepping up patrols ahead of Thanksgiving. The office is working with Mothers Against Drinking and Driving to prevent accidents, arrests and deaths.

"Our shared goal is to raise awareness AHEAD of the Thanksgiving holiday, which is 1 of the deadliest days on the roads," the sheriff's office said in a social media post. "Don't do it."

A report ranks the worst counties in Colorado for drinking and driving fatalities, and Jefferson County didn't fare too well. Jeffco (No. 11) and Douglas (No. 10) are the two worst metro Denver counties for drinking and driving deaths, according to a Denver Trial Lawyers report.

With a population of just under 575,000, Jefferson County has an average of 1.74 alcohol-related crash fatalities per 100,000 residents, according to the report. In 2019, there have been 58 reported accidents involving alcohol that have killed a total of 60 people in Jeffco.

The study examined crash report data from 2013 to 2019 for the 15 counties in our state with more than 50,000 residents. More than 900 people have been killed in alcohol-related accidents in Colorado over the past six years.

Fatal alcohol-related accidents per 100,000 people:

1. La Plata - 30.28
2. Eagle - 16.74
3. Pueblo - 15.42
4. Washington - 13.85
5. Mesa - 9.45
6. Garfield - 8.46
7. Weld - 6.02
8. Larimier - 5.77
9. El Paso - 2.43
10. Douglas - 1.79
11. Jefferson - 1.74
12. Broomfield - 1.71
13. Boulder - 1.24
14. Denver - 0.97
15. Adams - 0.55

The most dangerous county for alcohol-related crash fatalities in Colorado is La Plata, which has a population of around 55,500. There were 97 alcohol-related accidents that have killed 101 people in the county, according to the report.

Read the full Denver Trial Lawyers report.