Even before the busy New Year's weekend, the Colorado State Patrol had arrested more than 1,300 drivers on drunk driving charges during the 2011 holiday season, according to agency statistics.

The State Patrol began tabulating the figures on Thanksgiving weekend in late November, and by Dec. 26 the number of DUI arrests had reached 1,300. Of the 35 fatalities in the state during that period, at least 14 were attributed to alcohol, the State Patrol said.

The State Patrol added that law enforcement agencies would be out in force in the state over New Year's weekend, with more than 90 agencies set to participate in checkpoints and putting additional patrol cars on the streets.

Through its Plan Ahead Colorado website, the state Department of Transportation offers motorists information on groups offering free rides, taxi services and places where drivers can leave their cars overnight without worrying about getting ticketed or towed.

Leaving the house prepared with either a designated driver or a plan to call a cab, walk home or take public transportation saves the risk of causing an injury or fatality or getting arrested. But it also could save money and a motorist's right to drive. The average person facing a DUI charge winds up paying $10,270 in fines and lawyer's bills, according to the state DOT, and could wind up with jail time and a suspended driver's license.

Along with the legal consequences, a drunk driving conviction could hamper a person's ability to maintain a job. But it's also important to remember that just because one is arrested for drunk driving, it doesn't mean they are guilty. Suspected drunk drivers have the same legal rights as other people arrested.

Source: The Denver Post, "DUIs top 1,300 in Colorado so far this holiday season, New Year's crackdown to add more," Staff, Dec. 28, 2011