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Last modified: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 10:35 AM CST
Drunk driving has high economic impact
The Wilkin County Sheriff’s Office along with partner agency Barnesville Police Department announces they will increase DWI patrols throughout December to prevent traffic tragedies during the holiday season. This statewide impaired driving enforcement sweep will cover December – one of the year’s deadliest months for alcohol-related crashes. The effort includes 400 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota.
During the last three years (2005-2007) 41 motorists were killed in alcohol related crashes, and another 10,553 were arrested for DWI in Minnesota, just during the month of December.
In the last three years on Minnesota roads, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 553 traffic deaths and 1,253 serious injuries. In Wilkin County during this same period there were three impaired driving deaths and nine alcohol-related crashes with serious injury. Based on population comparisons, Wilkin County ranks towards the top in the state for alcohol-related crashes. The local economic impact of these alcohol related fatalities was $2,420,000.
Young adults continue to be the primary violators of impaired driving. From 2005 to 2007 drivers under the age of 25 committed nearly half of the DWI’s in Wilkin County.
“Being arrested for a DWI is a major life changing event, but not on the same level as a family member being killed or seriously injured. Deputies would rather arrest an impaired driver than notify families that a member has been killed or injured,” said Deputy Kurt Hodges. “We want people to make arrangements so they do not have to drive if they are drinking. Everyone deserves to have a safe and happy holiday season.”
Officers will also include seat belt enforcement during the nighttime DWI patrols to minimize risk of death or injury. Of the impaired drivers and their passengers killed in alcohol-related crashes during the 2005-2007 period, 71 percent were not wearing seat belts.
An effective route to stop impaired driving is through extra enforcement. Safe & Sober programs are funded by the National Traffic Safety Administration and are designed to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious crashes. (Numbers provided by Minnesota Department of Public Safety).
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