By Jakub Blum / KVSC reporter

Troopers, deputies and police officers in Central Minnesota are participating in a statewide holiday safety campaign which includes extra DWI enforcement.

They are looking for drivers who appear to be impaired, whether by alcohol or other substances. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and the Office of Traffic Safety coordinate the enforcement, education and awareness campaign with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Here are some facts to share from the DPS. Law enforcement statewide have arrested 1,427 impaired drivers on Minnesota roads. Those arrests happened between November 23 and December 12. Over all this year, 24,725 arrests have been made for impaired driving compared to 23,301 arrests that happened last year.

Here are two examples of arrests in the Central Minnesota area:

• An Elk River police officer arrested a 39-year-old man for driving impaired with a 0.269 blood alcohol content, or BAC.

• Plymouth police responded to two separate crashes within minutes of each other. The first was a two-vehicle crash. The driver was arrested with a 0.327 BAC. Twelve minutes later, a vehicle went off the roadway and struck a tree. That driver was arrested with a 0.323 BAC.

The enforcement period continues through New Year’s Eve.