Minnesota Dept of Public Safety Announces Extra DWI Enforcement Results

An extra DWI enforcement campaign held in Minnesota has yielded over a thousand arrests. According to the Department of Public Safety, 300 law enforcement agencies across the state participated in the Extra Enforcement and Awareness campaign, held from August 19th to September 5th.

The campaign was meant to prevent citizens who have been drinking from getting behind the wheel and making bad choices that could potentially lead to life-threatening accidents.

Through the campaign, 1,351 people were arrested for DWI. In a State Patrol area of Oakdale, there were 89 arrests, the highest number of arrests in the Twin Cities metro area.  In the same district, one individual blew a 0.32 blood alcohol concentration, the highest in the area.

If a driver blows a 0.08 or higher for blood alcohol concentration, he or she can be arrested for DWI.

“People can overestimate their driving skills and think they’re OK to drive after drinking. They’re not OK, and we need the awareness and enforcement to influence Minnesotans for the safety of all on the road,” said Donna Berger, the director of Office of Traffic Safety, in a press release.

According to the DPS, some consequences for driving while drunk are:

• Loss of license for up to a year, financial costs and possible jail time.
• Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license.
• Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.

Some tips for staying safe provided by DPS are:

• Plan for a safe ride — designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
• Speak Up – Offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
• Buckle up — the best defense against a drunk driver.
• Report drunk driving — call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.