The Colorado State Patrol will be stepping up DUI patrols for the holiday weekend. The crackdown comes on the heels of newly released statistics on alcohol–related crashes.

CDOT reports that deadly crashes involving booze were among the lowest in 12 years during July and August of last year, but officials say even though the summer months showed improvement, the overall numbers went up more than three percent last year.

State troopers say it's a good reminder to celebrate responsibly.