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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth - Police Department
Mike Ceynowa, Chief of Police
2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
DATE: 3/15/2012
SUBJECT: Enhanced DWI Enforcement
BY: DPD Public Information Officer Jim Hansen (218) 390-2232
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Public Awareness
CASE NO.:
INCIDENT DATE: 3/17/2012
INCIDENT TIME:
INCIDENT LOCATION: Duluth and Surrounding Area
SUBJECT: Enhanced DWI Enforcement
BY: DPD Public Information Officer Jim Hansen (218) 390-2232
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Public Awareness
CASE NO.:
INCIDENT DATE: 3/17/2012
INCIDENT TIME:
INCIDENT LOCATION: Duluth and Surrounding Area
Don’t rely on the “Luck of the Irish” - Designate a Sober Driver this St. Patrick’s Day
On Saturday, March 17th, 2012 the Duluth Police Department along with our Law Enforcement partners the Minnesota State Patrol, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Hermantown PD, Proctor PD, Floodwood PD and UMD PD will have extra Officers patrolling Duluth streets to make sure St. Patrick’s Day night is a safe one.
Driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle while impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant. Plan a safe way home before the festivities, designate a sober driver. No matter what happens, do not drive buzzed or drunk this St. Patrick’s Day!
For all the progress that has been made, alcohol related crashes without a question remain a threat accounting for one-third of the state’s traffic fatalities annually. In a Minnesota Impaired Driving Facts 2010 report, these are the discouraging facts that quantify the problem and explain Minnesota’s impaired driving laws. Following are key facts from 2010:
- 411 people died in traffic crashes in Minnesota and 131 (32 percent) were alcohol-related.
- 2,485 people suffered injuries in alcohol related crashes.
- 29,918 DWI’s were issued to drivers on Minnesota roads (82 per day on average).
- 12,436 (42 percent) of these violators had at least one prior DWI.
- 2,102 (7 percent) of DWI’s were issued to drivers less than 21 years of age.
- One of every seven current Minnesota drivers has at least one DWI.
The Duluth Police Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to stopping impaired driving. We ask every driver to join us by making smart, safe decisions. St. Patrick’s Day is a popular night to go out and celebrate with friends and family. It’s a time for fun, but it should also be a night for caution!
