Although the Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety Office of Traffic Safety has yet to make an official announcement, if past years are any indication, Minnesotans can expect a heavy police presence on the roads over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Minnesota law enforcement has historically increased their presence on the roads on or around St. Patrick’s Day, and with the holiday falling on a Sunday, you can bet that authorities will be on high alert for dangerous driving behaviors over the weekend. Historically more than 300 law enforcement agencies from across the state have participated in the enhanced St. Patrick’s Day crackdown, and we expect similar measures this year, even if they don’t publicly announce their intentions.
“St. Patrick’s Day weekend is oftentimes a busy one for our firm,” said criminal defense attorney Avery Appelman. “We answer our phones 24-7 throughout St. Patrick’s Day weekend to ensure that anyone who needs legal help is able to connect with a resource at all hours of the day, and this weekend will be no different.”
St. Patrick’s Day DUI Crackdown
While much of the attention will focus on stopping drinking and driving, police will be on high alert for the four big fatal driving maneuvers this weekend. Those actions include:
- Driving under the influence
- Distracted driving
- Unbelted driving
- Speeding
As we talked about on the blog last week, traffic fatalities in Minnesota are up this year due in large part to the unseasonably warm weather. This has allowed people to drive at faster speeds during the winter months, and speed is a common factor in most traffic accidents. If the trend continues and we add more intoxicated drivers to the roads this weekend as a result of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, it could be a very dangerous weekend on Minnesota roads. Hopefully people use common sense and take precautions if they plan to ring in the Irish holiday with a few adult beverages.
We’ll be here for you if you need us this weekend, but know that police will have an extra presence on the roads, so don’t risk it. Plan ahead, arrange a sober driver and know how you are safely getting home before the night begins so that you or someone in your group doesn’t get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. We’ll be ready to get you out of police custody and defend your case in court if need be, but we’d rather you and all Minnesotans make some wise choices and avoid trouble this weekend.
For assistance with a DUI, a similar traffic charge or an unrelated criminal matter, pick up the phone and call the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
