Campaign will target drunks on the roads

Increased enforcement by police forces and a U.S. advertising blitz will run through Labor Day.

By Jim Adams, Star Tribune

Last update: December 5, 2007 - 9:22 AM

More than 400 Minnesota police agencies, including the State Patrol, the seven metro county sheriffs and many larger cities, are participating in a nationwide impaired driving enforcement campaign that runs from Friday through Labor Day.

In a similar effort last year officers made more than 2,000 DWI arrests, the most since 1990. The state became the last in the nation to lower its legal alcohol limit from 0.10 to 0.08 percent last year.

Among the officers looking for drunken drivers is state trooper Adam Flynn, who made the most DWI arrests of any trooper in the past two years, a total of 386.

"We want get that impaired driver off the road before they hurt someone else or themselves," said Flynn, 28. Noting that even a first DWI costs about $700 for administrative expenses to get a revoked license back, plus fines and attorneys fees, he added: "A taxi ride will cost you far less."

State public safety officials also note that:

• More than one third (197 people) of 559 Minnesota traffic deaths in 2005 were killed in alcohol-related crashes. In the last five years, more than 1,000 people have been killed in such crashes.

• More than 471,000 Minnesotans -- one in eight drivers -- have a DWI conviction.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the double-barrelled advertising/enforcement campaign in Washington, D.C., saying it may lower drinking-involved fatalities, which have barely budged in a decade -- 39 percent of all traffic deaths last year involved alcohol.

"We do mean business. If they don't get off the streets voluntarily, we're going to take them off the streets," said Acting Transportation Secretary Maria Cino.

The $11 million advertising campaign targets male drivers ages 21-34, who had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal drunken driving crashes.

Law enforcement will use sobriety checkpoints and additional patrols that target problem roads and sporting events, festivals or concerts where people may be drinking excessively.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jim Adams • jadams@startribune.com

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