Each year, Mothers Against Drunk Driving takes a close look at the drunk driving laws of each state in the nation. The organization grades each state on five drunk driving related categories to give it a score between zero and five. Here’s a look at the five categories that they rate.
- Conducting sobriety checkpoints.
- Requiring ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders with a BAC of .08 and above.
- Administratively revoking driving privileges upon arrest for drunk driving.
- Creating enhanced penalties for those who drive drunk with children in the vehicle.
- Adopting penalties and expediting warrants for suspected drunk drivers who refuse an alcohol test.
States were given zero stars if they did not have one of the above measures on the books, they were given half a star if they had the law in place but MADD felt that the law could be improved, and one star if they had strong measures in place regarding the above bullet points. For example, a state earned zero starts if they do not conduct sobriety checkpoints, half a star if they conduct sobriety checkpoints at random intervals, and one start if they conduct sobriety checkpoints at least once a month. Similar criteria was established for each graded category.
Minnesota’s Grade
After looking at the results, it’s clear that MADD isn’t a big fan of the drunk driving laws Minnesota has on the books. Minnesota received:
- Zero stars for sobriety checkpoints.
- Zero stars for requiring ignition interlocks.
- Half a star for administratively revoking driving privileges after a DUI arrest.
- Half a star for creating enhanced penalties for drunk driving with minors in the vehicle.
- One star for adopting penalties and expediting warrants for suspected drunk drivers who refuse testing.
Overall, Minnesota earned two out of a possible five stars from MADD. We’re not the worst, as seven states earned lower grades, but it’s clear that MADD believes Minnesota has some work to do when it comes to policing drunk driving. We’re not as bad as Montana (half a star), but we’re lagging behind the five states who earned 4.5 stars, which are Arizona, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Virginia. No state earned a perfect score.
If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DUI in the greater Twin Cities area, reach out to the experienced lawyers at Appelman Law Firm. We’ll fight for you and help you navigate the legal system. For more information, contact Appelman Law Firm today.
