If a person has been cited for drunk driving recently, chances are good that they were driving in one of 13 counties in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety, there are 13 counties in Minnesota where nearly half of all the state's alcohol-related accidents and fatalities occur.

Responding to this information, enforcement officers are focusing on certain roads they are referring to as hot spots for issuing DWI tickets. Their increased role of enforcement is part of a year-long federal program to cut down on drunk driving accidents, so these counties will be targeted until September 2012.

Hennepin County is, perhaps not surprisingly, the county where the most alcohol-related accidents occur. It is followed closely by Ramsey County and Anoka County. A new addition to the list this year is Sherburne County, which is at number 11 and knocks Itasca County off the list.

The release of this information is important because these counties have been specifically targeted for DUI enforcement. It is very important, when it comes to focused arrests, that police and other officials follow the correct procedure in every arrest. If not, a person's rights could be violated and a charge of drunk driving may be invalid.

It also means that a person who has been charged with drunk driving is not alone. There are a number of people who have found themselves under arrest for driving while intoxicated. A DWI conviction can have a lasting impact on a person's career, ability to drive and reputation. Seeking help as quickly as possible following an arrest may be the best way to minimize the damage that can be caused.

Source: Star News, "Sherburne earns enhanced DWI patrols the hard way," Feb. 13, 2012