Minnesota police are never easy on drunk drivers, but in an effort to crack down on drunk driving and unnecessary traffic deaths, they’ll be adding extra DUI enforcement through the end of 2020.
We wrote about the recent drunk driving enforcement that sought to prevent drunk driving over the Thanksgiving holiday stretch, but officials clearly did not think that was enough. They recently announced that extra enforcement would continue through December 31. One of the biggest reasons for the added enforcement is because Minnesota has already matched the number of traffic fatalities on the roads this year as we did all of last year.
“We’re going in the wrong direction,” said Mike Hanson, director of the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety. “Our fatality rate is well above where it was last year, and the year before and the year before.”
Officials say that impaired driving contributes to about a quarter of traffic fatalities every year, and as road conditions worsen and people do more holiday traveling, we may be in line for an uptick in road fatalities if we’re not careful.
Avoiding A DUI This December
More than 300 agencies across the state will take part in the added DUI enforcement, so no matter where you’re traveling throughout Minnesota, odds are you’ll be in an area that is conducting extra DUI patrols. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to get away with it because you’re in your hometown or you’re only going a couple of miles, because police will be out in full force.
It’s also worth noting that a DUI doesn’t come cheap. After accounting for fines, legal fees, insurance increases as more, a DUI tends to cost a person about $10,000. Needless to say, the holiday season would be a little less cheerful if you were out $10,000, so make smart decisions throughout the end of the year and every time you get behind the wheel.
And if you or a loved one ends up making a mistake, know that your life is not over and that you have options. You absolutely need to at least take a free consultation with an experienced DUI lawyer like Avery Appelman. At a minimum, we can set you up with a little guidance for your next steps. For others, we’d be happy to take your case and provide you the best defense possible to help save you money, keep your license and prevent the possibility of jail time.
To learn how we’ve done this for countless clients in the past and how we can do the same for you, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today.
