Stevens Point, Wis. (WSAW) – In Wisconsin, OWIs are so common, only one person with ten or more tends to make headlines most of the time.

For every story like this, the comments we are asked for are the same: How does this happen? Why are they still allowed to drive? What is done to change it?

Just because we see them often does not mean that they are less of a threat to security.

Per. April 23 Department of Transport Social Card shows that across Wisconsin involved almost 1,900 total crashes a decreased driver.

Reduced can mean alcohol or substance abuse on the social card. In these crashes, there were 38 deaths and 773 injuries. This does not include traffic stops for potential OWIs, as law enforcement does so often.

“What always gets attention is the 8th, 9th, 10th, 7th offenders, but most people killed in drunken driving accidents are caused by people without prior offenses,” Mothers against drunk driving Director of State Government Affairs Frank Harris said.

In the latest data from DOT in 2023, 173 people received their first OWI overwriting in Portage County.

“It’s regular, especially in the evening,” said Steven’s Point Police Lieutenant Joe Johnson. “If not every night, every other night with certainty, we have officers who are investigating potential OWIs.”

Lieutenant Johnson says most people occur at night or in the morning, but day of drinking is also a thing.

“We also have a good amount of OWIs a day. Honestly, probably more than people would think,” he said. “I would say we train this regularly.”

They don’t train because they don’t see it. Lt. Johnson says they train because it is something they encounter so often. He added that it is something that most of the officers are very comfortable to do and are very well versed in.

Also in 2023, DOT’s data shows that 45 people received another OWI tax in Portage County. For the past 20 years, 45 people have been convicted of their 7th, 8th or 9th drunkenly driving offense. Six others are charged with their 10th or more with the largest number of offenses at 1 p.m. 13.

Johnson says many of the cars that have stopped are suspected of driving behavior.

Harris says that high visibility law enforcement activities are critical.

“Not necessarily to arrest all these people, but to get people to take a tour share, a taxi, a safe trip.”

For law enforcement authorities like LT Johnson, it can be quite disappointing to see a person with several OWI prosecutions.

“It’s unfortunate because you hope most people you know everyone makes mistakes, and if they get caught for that mistake, you hope they might learn their lesson,” he said.

Lt. Johnson says they only stop a very small percentage of people driving under influence. He adds that officers keep people responsible for offenses.

He says that if officers drove people home when they were intoxicated, everyone would perform while they were under influence.

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