Aspen, Pitkin County see higher DUI rates than state
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen police recorded over twice as many DUIs per capita than the state of Colorado in the past five years.
There’s been an average of one DUI charge per 207 Aspen residents per year by the Aspen Police Department between Jan. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2024, according to Aspen police records and the 2020 US Census. This figure includes non-Aspen residents arrested by Aspen police.
That’s compared to an average of one statewide DUI charge per 480 residents in the state of Colorado over the same time frame, according to data collected by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.
“Please don’t drive drunk,” Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said.
High rates of road use in and out of Aspen could play a part in the high DUI rate.
Though the Aspen population is only around 7,000, nearly 19,000 vehicles cross Castle Creek Bridge every day, according to a 2022 estimation by the city.
Pitkin County has seen an even higher DUI rate over the past five years, with an average of one DUI charge per every 152 people in the county per year, over three times higher per capita than the state.
Buglione said Colorado Highway 82 could contribute to the high DUI rate, as it condenses the stream of traffic through the valley and concentrates drunk drivers.
“There’s one way in, one way out, for the most part,” Buglione said.
Since taking the post as sheriff in January 2023, Buglione said he has also focused on increasing DUI enforcement because Highway 82 is statistically one of the most dangerous highways in the area for spinal injuries and fatalities.
“Being arrested is the least of your problem,” he said of driving drunk. “Being killed or killing someone is the worst part of it. And there’s so many ways to get a ride home.”
People often choose to drive drunk because they believe they are less impaired than they are, Buglione said.
“Buzzed driving is drunk driving,” Buglione said.
Along with higher enforcement comes greater access to alcohol. Both Aspen and Pitkin County have roughly five times as many liquor licenses per capita than the state.
Aspen has a total of 86 active liquor licenses, or one liquor license for every 81 Aspen residents, according to city records obtained by The Aspen Times. Pitkin County, including each municipality, has 200 liquor licenses, or one liquor license per every 87 county residents, according to county liquor license records.
The state of Colorado has 19,232 active liquor licenses, or one liquor license per every 404 Colorado residents, according to state records obtained by The Aspen Times.
Within Pitkin County, Basalt has the highest rate of DUIs per capita over the last five years, with an average of one DUI charge by Basalt police per every 152 Basalt residents per year. This figure includes nonresidents charged by the Basalt police.
But Basalt, Pitkin County, and Aspen are in better shape than Vail and Breckenridge.
Vail Police recorded an average of one DUI per every 121 residents per year over the past five years, and Breckenridge police recorded an average of one DUI per every 112 residents in the same time frame, according to police records obtained by The Aspen Times. The DUI charges include nonresidents.
With the high DUI charge rate in Pitkin County comes a strain on its jail.
Pitkin County Detentions Division Chief Dan Fellin said the jail has been close to capacity since it reopened in mid-2023.
“I don’t know if you can contribute all that to an increase in DUIs, but we are getting a lot of people that are serving DUI sentences as well as DUI stays overnight,” Fellin said.
Thirteen of 14 beds in the jail are currently occupied, Fellin said. However, they plan to work with the county in 2025 to potentially renovate or expand the jail, he added.
According to Buglione, there is no excuse for driving drunk given the ample amount of public transit opportunity.
Transit options include the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, the Downtowner, the Basalt Connect, and High Mountain Taxi, which can be reached at (970) 925-8294.
Aspen also offers Tipsy Taxi, a free late-night transit option to be used if residents or tourists are drunk and have no other way home, Tipsy Taxi Founder Ellen Anderson said. Call any police officer or contact any bar tender to get a voucher for the taxi 24 hours per day. The program was founded over 40 years ago by Anderson.
“Call the cops, call the sheriff’s office, get a ride,” Buglione added. “If we’re available, we’ll get you a ride.”
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
