A motorcycle rally in South Dakota is expected to bring a flurry of riders through Colorado, and state officials are urging motorcyclists to ride safe and sober.

The Sturgis Rally is expected to bring many of the estimated 500,000 motorcyclists through Colorado, especially on Interstates 25 and 76, according to a release from the Colorado’s Department of Transportation.

The rally consists of a series of events, including stunts and concerts, that are hosted by many different groups an reached a record high of more than 750,000 people at their 75th rally back in 2015. The event begins on Friday and ends on Aug. 11.

The increase in riders has prompted a DUI enforcement period, which started Wednesday and continues through Aug. 13, that will have over 72 law enforcements participating across Colorado. 

There will be an increase in patrols, sobriety checkpoints and law enforcement officers dedicated to arresting impaired drivers and motorcyclists during the 14-day period, CDOT said. 

Last year reported 378 DUI arrests during the Sturgis Rally enforcement period.

Despite representing less than 3% of vehicles on the road, numbers from the department show that motorcycles are involved in 18% of traffic fatalities in Colorado.

Motorcycle rider dies while trying stunts in north Colorado Springs

CDOT encourages riders to wear helmets, citing over half of the 132 motorcyclists who died in the 1,040 crashes from last summer were not wearing one.

“Crashes can and do happen in an instant, especially on unfamiliar mountain roads and busy highways. Colliding with a vehicle or hitting the pavement can easily be fatal for motorcycle riders,” Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in the release.

A news release from Colorado State Patrol states motorcycle crash fatalities are on the rise and July was a peak month for crashes, including ones involving motorcycles. In the first two weeks of July, the percentage of fatal crashes doubled with 16 fatal crashes and six of those involved a motorcycle.

Motorcycle lane filtering will soon be legal in Colorado. Here’s how it’s different from lane splitting.

The new motorcycle lane filtering law will be put into effect halfway through the enforcement period on Aug. 7. The new law will let motorcyclists pass and filter through stopped traffic.