Fewer Minnesotans are getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, according to a report from the Minnesota State Patrol.
The decline in DUI arrests has been rather stark as there have been 21 percent fewer arrests in 2014 than there was at this time last year. Police credit the drop in DUI arrests to more social awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving as well as the announcement of extra DUI patrols throughout the year. Police believe fewer people are taking the risk to drive drunk because they know more cops are out looking for offenders.
Despite the drop in arrests, DUI arrests are still happening far too often in Minnesota. 25,719 people were arrested for drunk driving in Minnesota in 2013, and we’re still expected to top 20,000 arrests by the end of the year. Police say this time of year is especially dangerous on the roads, as the holidays provide people with more opportunities to drive drunk.
Law enforcement said they arrested 578 individuals for driving drunk over the last two weekends. Similar numbers are expected through the end of the year as the State Patrol plan to continue adding extra DUI patrols as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
An App For That
App developers are also helping cut down on drinking and driving. A law enforcement agency in Maryland created the END DUI app, which allows a user to enter their height, weight, number of drinks and the time it took to consumer those drinks in order to estimate their blood-alcohol content.
The app is loaded with other features, including two mini games that test the user’s reaction time and cognitive ability. It also use GPS and Bluetooth technology to provide local phone numbers to cabs and other transportation options.
The app is available in the App Store and is free of charge.
Related source: Bring Me The News, WCCO
