ST. PAUL- Minnesota law enforcement officers arrested 3,354 impaired drivers during a December-long enforcement campaign. DWI offenders had an average alcohol-concentration of 0.17, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

“Law enforcement alone cannot stop impaired driving behavior,” said Cheri Marti, director of the state’s Office of Traffic Safety. “As long as motorists continue to make irresponsible decisions, alcohol-related crashes will continue to account for one-third of the state’s annual road deaths.”

Locally, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Department issued eight arrests during the enforcement effort, which was coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The Litchfield Police Department arrested three persons while the Eden Valley Police Department arrested one.

During the campaign, the Minnesota State Patrol issued 543 DWI arrests. Among Twin Cities’ agencies, Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments led with 110 and 78 DWIs, respectively, followed by Bloomington P.D. (49), Eden Prairie P.D. (42) and Coon Rapids P.D. (38). In greater Minnesota, leaders were Wright County Sheriff’s Office (52), Rochester P.D. (45), St. Cloud P.D. (43), and Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office (41). Other notable agencies were the police departments of Austin (33), Duluth (28), Mankato (31), Roseville (31), White Bear Lake (29), and Winona (27). Anoka and Stearns county sheriff’s offices both recorded 31 DWIs.

Each year, alcohol-related crashes account for around 200 deaths and thousands of injuries. More than 500,000 Minnesotans — one in eight with a driver’s record — has been arrested for DWI.
Depending on a variety of variables, a first-time DWI arrest can lead to a loss of license for 90 days. When factoring in increased insurance costs, legal and other fees, the expense of a DWI can cost up to nearly $20,000.

Seat belt use, speeding and impaired driving enforcement campaigns are planned statewide this year in addition to ongoing NightCAP efforts — all components of the state’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) initiative. TZD is a partnership led by the Minnesota departments of Public Safety, Transportation and Health, and county engineers to address traffic issues through education, enforcement, engineering and emergency trauma care response.