2,270 are cited in drunken-driving crackdown

2,270 Minnesota motorists tagged for DWI in two-week crackdown.

By Tim Harlow, Star Tribune

Last update: September 14, 2007 - 11:33 PM

A two-week crackdown on impaired drivers resulted in 2,270 motorists being tagged for driving while intoxicated, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said.

The increased enforcement came as part of the department's "Safe and Sober" campaign and ran from Aug. 17 to Sept. 3. More than 400 agencies across the state participated in the initiative.

During the campaign, the State Patrol stopped 343 motorists for driving while impaired. In the Twin Cities, Minneapolis police cited the most drivers, handing out 58 citations for drunken driving. St. Paul police had 57, followed by Bloomington police with 48, the Wright County Sheriff's Office with 47 and Coon Rapids police with 30.

Outstate, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office led with 34 citations, followed by police in Moorhead with 25, St. Cloud with 22 and Rochester 20.

Authorities statewide cited nearly 42,000 motorists for drunken driving in 2006, a record high for arrests, the Department of Public Safety said.

Drunken driving was responsible for 166 deaths on Minnesota roads last year, department figures show. A first offense for driving drunk could result in a loss of a driver's license for 30 to 90 days and can cost up to $20,000 in legal fees and fines.

TIM HARLOW

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