If you’re going to be doing a lot of driving over the next two weeks, odds are you’ll notice a few more police cars on the highways and in areas of high traffic. That’s because Minnesota police are conducting a crackdown on drunk driving through the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Most Dangerous Travel Weekend
Police are hoping that their announced presence will help people make smart decisions when it comes to drinking and driving. The Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the most dangerous extended weekends on the road because millions of people are traveling and the warm conditions means they are traveling at high speeds. When you add alcohol to the mix, it can quickly become a deadly situation.
In fact, Labor Day weekend is the busiest time of the year for Minnesota police in terms of catching drunk drivers. According to the DWI arrest data from 2012 to 2016, there are more DWI arrests per hour on Labor Day weekend than any other holiday weekend. Check out the chart below for more information about DWI arrests per hour on holidays or holiday weekends.
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
Over the last five years, four people have been killed in drunk driving-related crashed over the Labor Day weekend in Minnesota, and that number pales in comparison to the number of people who are arrested for DUI over the holiday weekend. In Sterns County, Benton County and Sherburne County, there have been 7,092 DWI arrests over Labor Day weekend in the past six years.
Focus on Repeat Offenders
Statistics show that more than 266,000 Minnesotans have at least one DUI on their record. While police hope the extra enforcement helps all individuals make good decisions, they’re really hoping it strikes a cord with individuals who already have a DUI on their record. Police said they are hoping to crack down on repeat DUI offenders during this two-week enforcement. Records indicated that 41 percent of individuals who were arrested for DUI in 2015 had at least one previous drunk driving conviction on their record.
Subsequent DUI arrests are very serious, and they can easily result in jail time, the loss of your driving privileges and huge fines. Whether the DUI is your first or your tenth, you need to contest it in court if you hope to attain the best results. Let Avery Appelman help you in your time of need. Contact his office today if you need help with your DUI case.
