ST. PAUL — Minnesota saw fewer DWI arrests this New Year’s Eve compared with a year ago, while Austin saw three DWI arrests.

Between 4 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, there were 174 arrests across Minnesota of people suspected of driving while intoxicated. The Minnesota State Patrol says that’s down from 191 arrests last year during New Year’s Eve.

According to the patrol, there have been fewer than 200 DWI arrests on New Year’s Eve statewide during each of the past four years.

State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson told the Star Tribune the decline stems from a number of factors, including efforts to educate drivers about the risks of drunken driving.

Nielson says programs that provide free bus and cab rides to drivers on New Year’s Eve also have helped.