(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — Law enforcement in Southern Colorado hit the roads for Blackout Wednesday and all week long, in an effort to stop distracted, speeding and impaired driving.

According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), El Paso County is out of the number one counties for traffic fatalities in the last six years. This enforcement aimed to change that.

“There’s nothing worse than arriving on the scene of a crash or any incident, really, and knowing that somebody’s loved one is not going home,” said Thaddeus Austin, a trooper pilot for Colorado State Patrol (CSP).

This sentiment is one that many in law enforcement take with them, and also the idea behind this enforcement effort.

“Because it is a holiday, historically speaking, people make more irresponsible decisions,” Austin said. “Which leads to…. people being injured, people being killed.”

On Wednesday, Austin patrolled from the skies in a CSP light fixed-wing aircraft.

“I’m observing traffic, I’m watching the flow of traffic in any sort of aggressive driving behavior– following too closely, speeding, weaving and things like that,” Austin said.

White markers on the sides of the highway indicate where he clocks drivers on a stopwatch. Once they reach the second set of markers, he checks the time which lets him know how fast they were going. After he identifies a vehicle committing a violation, he radios to the unit on the ground to ask them to make a stop.

During this particular enforcement period, he was working with an EPSO deputy for about two hours, during which time they made three traffic stops.

“A few advantages that we have — one, is that we can see things from the air that people from the ground cannot see. Additionally, people drive a very certain way when they see a police car. We don’t want to see how they’re driving when they see a police car, we want to see how they drive day to day,” Austin said.

According to EPSO, between 2:00 and 5:00 on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office made 66 contacts, 62 citations, four warnings and one DUI arrest.

“We’re out doing this with an emphasis on the pre-holiday time frame because we want people to be able to enjoy the holidays with their family and their friends,” Austin said.

CSP and EPSO are partnering to remind people to make sure they have a plan when attending holiday events, make sure they slow down, pay attention and make sure friends and family have a plan as well.

“Contrary to popular belief, speeding, reckless driving, impaired driving, not just alcohol, but impairment, period, is not a victimless crime.”