Labor Day Weekend: MN Gets Federal Funds For DWI Patrolling

TWIN CITIES, MN — Driving while impaired is a choice that too many people are making again and again: 41 percent of drivers arrested for a DWI in 2015 in Minnesota had at least one previous drunk driving conviction, according to the Minnesota Department of Safety (DPS).

No matter how many DWIs a driver has, more than 300 law enforcement agencies (police, sheriff and state patrol) will be looking to take them off the road during extra enforcement now through Sept. 3. The overtime shifts are funded through the DPS with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Laboring to find a sober ride

Why Labor Day is the most dangerous holiday period to be on the road with drunk drivers is something Minnesotans should all be asking and trying to change. In a five year period (2011-2015), four people were killed in drunk driving-related crashes with many more drunk drivers risking the lives of motorists.

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Holiday DWI Arrests per hour (2012 – 2016)

• Labor Day – 4.6
• July 4 – 4.3
• St. Patrick’s Day – 4.2
• Memorial Day – 4.2
• Thanksgiving – 4.1
• New Year’s Eve – 3.9
• Super Bowl – 3.4
• Christmas – 2.8

The DPS offers the following tips to keep motorists safe and out of jail:

• Plan for a safe ride — designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation, or stay at the location of the celebration.
• Speak up – offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere. If you see an impaired person about to get behind the wheel, get them a safe ride home.
• Buckle up — the best defense against a drunk driver.
• Report drunk driving — call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Mone