New DWI search map available for free for Minnesotans

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Available for the first time to the public, the Minnesota BCA has launched a new DWI Dashboard that allows people to search for information on offenders and incidents around them.

What we know

For the first time, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says the new version of its map tool will help Minnesotans learn about crashes and arrests related to impaired driving in their communities.

The DWI Dashboard allows users to search for information such as a person’s age, alcohol concentration, incident day and more. Results can then be downloaded in several formats.

First created by the BCA in 2016, data from the DWI Dashboard was previously only available to law enforcement.

What officials say

"We’re bringing the data together in a way that we hope will help both law enforcement and the public gain a better understanding of the impact of impaired driving on Minnesota communities," BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement.

The DWI Dashboard was created with funding from the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), according to a press release.

"Saving lives on Minnesota roads requires solid data that can inform traffic safety programs and change dangerous driving choices," said OTS Director Mike Hanson in a statement. "There’s no excuse to drive impaired. The DWI Dashboard gives our partners and now the public a valuable resource to make progress in preventing tragedy."