State Patrol: 174 DWI Arrests On New Year's Eve
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – People headed out to celebrate 2014 and ring in the new year across the state on New Year's Eve, and the Minnesota State Patrol was ready to take impaired drivers off the road.
According to the State Patrol, there were 174 arrests across Minnesota for DWI on New Year's Eve. That number is actually down from last year, when there were 191 arrests for drunk driving.
New Year's Eve is traditionally one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, and authorities had extra patrols out to crack down on impaired driving. In the past three years, 279 people were killed by drunk drivers in Minnesota, 81 were killed in 2013 alone.
More than 22,000 people were arrested for DWI in 2014. The numbers have gone down every year since 2006, when almost 42,000 people were arrested.
The cost of a cab or sober ride does not compare to what you will spend if you get a DWI.
It can cost as much as $20,000 if you factor in court costs and lawyer fees. And don't forget you can lose your license for up to a year and maybe do jail time.
