The preliminary numbers from Minnesota’s enhanced DUI enforcement have been released, and although the number of people arrested for drunk driving is high, the total number represents a decline from last year.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety, police officers arrested 2,407 drivers for driving while intoxicated during the most recent enforcement period, which ran from November 23 through the end of the calendar year. That number represents a small decline from 2015, when officers arrested 2,502 individuals for drunk driving during the same stretch.
“It just takes that one moment, that one time to shatter a life forever,” said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director. “If you are truly someone’s friend or a family member of someone who is impaired, you won’t let them get behind the wheel.”
A Look Into The Extra Enforcement
More than 300 agencies around the state took part in the extra DUI enforcement, but they didn’t release many details about the arrests they made. They did note that 11 agencies reported stopping someone with a BAC of 0.30 or higher, which is nearly four times the legal limit. The highest BAC reported during the crackdown came in South St. Paul where a driver was operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of 0.38.
To help drivers get a better idea of how the extra DUI enforcement works, they put together a short video with clips from the holiday enforcement. In the video, you can see how police officers coordinate with one another, their dispatcher and even with concerned citizens to track down suspected drunk drivers. From following a tip from a concerned driver to getting to a gas station before a suspected drunk driver can gas up her tank, the video provides an interesting look into how officers work to keep our roads safe during the holiday season. We’ve included the video below.
