The Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety Office of Traffic Safety recently released their annual drunk driving report. The report is very comprehensive, and you can view it here. Because it’s so detailed, the most recent data is only from the 2017 calendar year. Below, we take a look at the most recent drunk driving statistics in Minnesota.
Drunk Driving in Minnesota
Here’s a quick look at the 2017 Impaired Driving Report:
- In 2017, 72 people were killed in Minnesota crashes involving a drunk driver. While this number is still too high, it’s 57 fewer drunk driver deaths than a decade ago.
- Alcohol-related crashes account for one-third of the state’s total traffic deaths each year.
- There were 24,862 DWI arrests in Minnesota in 2017 (an average of 68 per day).
- 1,212 (5 percent) of DWIs involved a driver under the age of 21.
- Males accounted for 72 percent of DWI arrests in Minnesota.
- The largest demographic for arrests was individuals between the age of 20-34.
- 358 people died in traffic crashes in Minnesota in 2017, and 20 percent were in crashes involving drunk drivers.
- 2,389 people were injured in alcohol-released crashes.
- One in seven licensed drivers in Minnesota has at least one DWI. 58 percent of those with a DWI only have one on their record.
- 49 percent of DWI arrests occurred on the weekend.
- The average BAC for a DWI offender was 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit.
- The average BAC for a DWI offender involved in a fatal crash was 0.19.
- The number of interlock devices installed has nearly doubled in the last three years.
- 12,074 people have graduated from the ignition interlock program in the last three years.
There’s a lot to take in with these numbers, but it’s clear that drunk driving is still a considerable problem here in Minnesota. If you or someone you know has been arrested for drunk driving in Minnesota, we can help them get the legal defense or the substance counseling they need to move on with their life. For more information, or to set up a free case review with our firm, give us a call at (952) 224-2277 or click here.
