Police Plan To Boost DWI Enforcement This Weekend

Citing a battery of statistics about the role of alcohol in fatal car accidents on Minnesota roads, the Minneapolis Police Department says its officers will be out in force this weekend in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.

The police department's efforts are part of a coordinated state-wide effort to continue shrinking the numbers of alcohol-related traffic deaths.

In Minnesota over the past three Decembers, police say there were 89 traffic deaths of which 24 were alcohol-related. In 2010, only 131 people died in alcohol-related crashes, compared with the five-year average of 170 deaths per year.

“The holidays are a time for celebrating. They are not a time to throw common sense and safe driving choices out the window,” says Sgt. Scott Olson of the MPD’s Traffic Enforcement Unit in a written statement. “Avoid the potentially deadly consequences of driving impaired, as well as the heavy costs and personal grief of a DWI by planning ahead how to get home safely.”

Police are urging motorists to call 911 to report drunk drivers, but say they should be prepared to describe their location, the suspect's license plate number, and the suspicious behavior that prompted the call.