The Minnesota Department of Public Safety today named the state's 13 deadliest counties for impaired driving that will be targeted with extra DWI patrols throughout 2010. Currently, a statewide December-long DWI and seat belt crackdown is being conducted.
In 2010, enhanced DWI patrols will focus on the counties of: Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright. Olmsted, Otter Tail and Scott counties are new additions to the list, replacing the counties of Blue Earth, Crow Wing and Itasca.
These 13 counties accounted for more than one-half of the state's total alcohol-related deaths (267 of 519) and serious injuries (605 of 1,159) during 2006-2008. The counties are determined based on the total number of alcohol-related deaths and serious injuries over a three-year period.
In the last five years, 2005-2009, enhanced patrols in the state's deadliest counties for impaired driving have resulted in 13,453 DWI arrests -- one arrest per 16 traffic stops. More than one-half million Minnesotans have a DWI on record, translating to one-in-eight Minnesota drivers.
