Statewide DWI Campaign Now In Effect Through Labor Day

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – State officials are encouraging people to plan for a sober ride as a statewide campaign to crack down on drunk driving starts Friday and goes through Labor Day weekend.

The campaign is called the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety released a report Thursday which shows that 68 percent of fatal accidents last year involved drivers who had blood alcohol levels of at least .16, which is twice the legal limit for driving.

Officials said from 2007 to 2011, 651 people died on the state's roads in drunk driving crashes. That figure accounts for a third of the state's 2,165 total road deaths over that time. Officials said more than 29,000 motorists were arrested for DWI last year, and the average blood alcohol level of those drivers was .16, according to the report.

DPS officials said one in seven Minnesota drivers has a DWI on their record.