Cell-Phone Users Urged To Turn In Drunken Drivers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota State Patrol is urging cell-phone users to report drunken drivers they spot on the road.

Minnesota's Department of Transportation maintains a traffic video network of about 500 cameras. The cameras are mostly in the Twin Cities, with a handful watching traffic in Duluth, Rochester and St. Cloud.

State troopers are using the controllable cameras to catch drunken drivers.

Dispatchers take 911 calls from drivers who report someone driving erratically, and then use the cameras to zoom in on the offending driver. The dispatcher will then radio a location to troopers, who try to intercept and stop the driver.

State Patrol statistics show citizens with cell phones turn in about 20 drunken drivers a day.