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'Make A Sober Game Plan': DPS Says Over 2,500 DWI Arrests Over Holidays

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Ahead of the Super Bowl coming to Minneapolis, the Department of Public Safety is reminding motorists to make a sober ride game plan.

On Wednesday, public safety officials released holiday DWI arrest numbers, calling it a "sobering reminder of drinking and driving dangers."

According to the DPS, there were 2,656 arrests in Minnesota for DWI over the holiday DWI campaign, which included extra law enforcement from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31. That compares to 2,407 DWI arrests during the same time period in 2016.

Some of the drunken driving arrests included a woman arrested twice by Fairmont police, once on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve for DWI. Both times she was driving on the wrong side of the road.

The Minnesota State Patrol in Thief River Falls also arrested a drunk driver who was trying to pull another drunk driver out of a snow bank.

During the campaign, 12 agencies recorded a blood alcohol content of .35 or higher. That's over four times the legal limit.

"Nobody plans on getting behind the wheel and taking a life, but that's exactly what you are risking if you decide to drive after drinking," Mike Hanson, Office of Traffic Safety director, said. "If you plan on drinking, make a sober game plan. The message is simple: before watching the Big Game or heading out to enjoy an evening that may include alcohol, plan ahead and line up a sober ride."

The DPS says the reminder to line up a sober ride is especially important with the Super Bowl coming to Minneapolis, with an estimated 1 million people coming into the Twin Cities for the game and events leading up to it.

"The Super Bowl will be a great event, but it's important for anyone who's out celebrating to have a sober game plan," said Bruce Gordon, Department of Public Safety Office of Communications director. "We wanted to make sure that as many people as possible heard that message, so we produced this commercial internally from start to finish to maximize the budget and have it ready for the weeks leading up to the game. We especially thank the actors who volunteered their time to help deliver this important traffic safety message."

The DPS teamed up with volunteer actors to spread awareness about drunken driving dangers. The commercial is running throughout the state through the Super Bowl, both on television and online.

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