Wichita sees more than 25 percent increase in DUI arrests this year

? Police say DUI arrests have increased more than 25 percent in Wichita this year over 2010.

Lt. Joe Schroeder told The Wichita Eagle that the increase stems from a heightened emphasis by police to watch for impaired drivers. He said it’s “not necessarily” because there are more drunken drivers on the roads.

Police made 280 DUI arrests through the first two months of last year. Through late last week, police statistics show there were 356 DUI arrests so far this year in Wichita.

Schroeder said a state law mandating blood tests for drivers involved in serious crashes where driving errors occurred has also played a role in the increase.