Closing the Knowledge Gap on Impaired Driving: The Learn Brands and CDOT Partnership

At Learn Brands, education is how safer communities get built. For three years, that belief has driven a partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation focused on a stubborn public-safety problem: the gap between what the public understands about impaired driving and what the law and the science actually say.

This is a look at what that partnership found, why frontline retail staff are uniquely positioned to help close those gaps, and how responsible-service training turns everyday retail interactions into a public-safety asset.

What the partnership found

Over three years, Learn Brands delivered targeted training to retail staff across Colorado and gathered nearly 1,000 survey responses through its online courses. That data informed CDOT's public report on where knowledge gaps around impaired driving are widest.

The findings pointed to a few consistent themes. People underestimate how long impairment lasts after consuming any regulated product. There is widespread confusion about how impaired-driving laws are enforced. And many do not understand how impairment is actually assessed at the roadside. Each of those gaps is an opportunity for accurate information delivered at the right moment, and retail staff are often that moment.

What Colorado law says about impairment

A core part of responsible-service training is making sure staff understand the law accurately, so they can answer customer questions correctly rather than passing along myths.

Colorado law treats driving under the influence of any impairing substance as illegal, whether alcohol or another regulated product, and the penalties run in parallel: fines, license suspension, and potential jail time. For alcohol specifically, the familiar 0.08 BAC standard applies.

For other substances, CDOT is clear that enforcement is based on documented impairment assessed at the roadside, not on a single number. Many Colorado State Patrol troopers carry specialized impairment-detection training. The practical message staff are trained to reinforce is the simple one that holds across every category: if a product has affected you at all, you are not safe to drive. CDOT's full guidance is available in its drugged driving FAQ and the survey report.

Why frontline retail staff are the right messengers

Retail associates are trusted points of contact at the exact moment a purchase happens. That places them in a position no billboard can match: able to share accurate safety information, gently correct a misconception, and reinforce responsible-use habits in a brief, human exchange.

That is the premise of the Learn Brands and CDOT collaboration. When frontline teams have clear, accurate information, routine retail interactions become a genuine channel for public safety. It is the same principle behind all of Learn Brands' responsible-service work, which connects to the de-escalation skills staff rely on when a responsible-service conversation gets difficult and the broader compliance training that keeps operators on the right side of the rules.

How retailers can train their teams on responsible service

Closing knowledge gaps at scale takes training that every team member completes and that a manager can verify, not a flyer in the break room.

Learn Brands delivers responsible-service and safety education through its platform, so an operator can assign training across one location or many, track completion, and hold a consistent standard for how staff communicate about responsible use. It is part of a broader free Core Education Suite and compliance library used by retailers and distributors across regulated industries.

Want to bring responsible-service and safety training to your team? Book a demo to see how it works.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Learn Brands and CDOT partnership?

A three-year collaboration in which Learn Brands delivered impaired-driving awareness training to Colorado retail staff and gathered nearly 1,000 survey responses through its courses. That data informed a CDOT public report identifying where public knowledge gaps about impaired driving are widest.

Why train retail staff on impaired driving?

Retail associates are trusted, point-of-sale contacts who can share accurate safety information exactly when a customer is buying. The survey work found significant public knowledge gaps, and trained frontline teams are an effective, human channel for closing them.

How does Colorado enforce impaired driving laws?

Colorado treats driving under the influence of any impairing substance as illegal, with penalties including fines, license suspension, and potential jail time. Enforcement relies on documented impairment assessed at the roadside by trained officers. CDOT's official FAQ has the full detail.

How can a retailer train its whole team on responsible service?

Through a trackable platform course that can be assigned across one location or many, so every staff member completes the same training and managers can verify it. Learn Brands offers this as part of its Core Education Suite and compliance library.