Slightly more than 100 people were arrested in Minnesota on New Year's Eve and early on New Year's Day on suspicion of drunken driving, state officials reported Tuesday.
According to reports taken from agencies across the state, 22 DWI arrests were made between 6 p.m. and midnight Monday, and 89 between midnight and 6 a.m. Tuesday.
That adds up to 111 statewide arrests for the 12-hour period, far fewer than the number of arrests tallied annually for New Year's Eve from 2004 to 2011, which ranged from 266 to 435. In more recent years, those figures have been below 200.
Officials have attributed the decline to several factors, including educating drivers about the risks of drunken driving; programs providing free bus and cab rides to drivers; and extra funding for enforcement activities on holidays when many drink alcohol.
Staff Report
