Long drives, scenic bike rides and evening walks. They are all part of summer in Minnesota, but if you’re an impaired driver, pedestrian or bicyclist, your summer days may abruptly end.
Crashes involving alcohol continue to change Minnesotans lives forever. From 2012-2016, there were 138 people who lost their lives in drunk driving crashes during the summer months, the deadliest season. While drunk driving continues to be a leading factor in traffic fatalities, impaired bicyclists and pedestrians also play a role in lives that are changed forever with 414 alcohol-related serious injuries during the same time-frame.
Drunk Driving-Related Fatalities and Alcohol-Related Serious Injuries
2012-2016
Months Drunk Driving-Related Fatalities
(drunk driving-related is any driver at .08 or above) Alcohol-Related
Serious Injuries
(alcohol-related is any evidence of alcohol in a driver, pedestrian or bicyclist)
December – February 74,249
March – May 102,361
June - August 138,414
September - November 118,358
To help keep the roads safe, law enforcement agencies in Clay County will be participating in an extra DWI enforcement campaign starting Aug. 17 and running through Sept. 2.
Officers, deputies and troopers from more than 300 agencies will be working overtime with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety coordinates the extra enforcement and education effort.
Labor Day – No Time Off for Law Enforcement
Unfortunately, the Labor Day period continues to be a working holiday for troopers, officers and deputies who are finding drunk drivers behind the wheel. The holiday period is the third worst for drunk drivers when it comes to DWIs per hour at 3.8 (Halloween is the worst at 4 per hour).
Law enforcement officers consistently arrest more than 400 people for drunk driving during the long holiday weekend, and about 25,000 are arrested each year.
Labor Day DWI Arrests (Friday – Tuesday)
Year DWIs
2013 482
2014 442
2015 501
2016 421
2017 444
Total 2,290
DWI Arrests Year-Round
Year DWIs
2013 26,014
2014 25,392
2015 25,374
2016 24,059
2017 24,862
Total 125,701
Speak Up and Plan a Sober Ride
• Plan for a safe ride — designate a sober driver, use a safe, alternative transportation option, 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.
The enhanced DWI enforcement campaign is a component of the state’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) program. The Minnesota departments of Public Safety, Transportation and Health collaborate on improving traffic safety for all. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture in Minnesota in which motorists support a goal of zero road fatalities by practicing and promoting safe and smart driving behavior. TZD focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes – education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical and trauma response.
Lt. Deric Swenson 218.299.5202
