ST. PAUL — During the Labor Day DWI campaign from Aug. 18 through Sept. 4, officers, deputies and troopers arrested 1,140 drivers for driving impaired.
- 125 drivers were cited for violating Minnesota’s Move Over law.
- 267 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota participated in the DWI campaign, which included extra patrols, awareness and education. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) coordinates the campaign with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Examples of impaired driving arrests
- The Becker County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for speeding. The driver was arrested for a controlled substance DWI. Over 145 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine mixed with fentanyl were also recovered.
- Blooming Prairie police arrested a driver for first degree-DWI. The driver had five prior convictions in the last 10 years.
- The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle crash. Before deputies arrived, the passenger in the crash tried driving the vehicle from the scene. Both the driver and passenger were arrested for DWI.
- A Minnesota State Patrol trooper in the Marshall district responded to a crash. An intoxicated driver rear-ended another vehicle at a stop sign. A breath test showed the driver had a 0.330 BAC. They were taken to detox due to the level of intoxication.
- Oak Park Heights police arrested two different drivers for DWI. One from a road rage incident and the other from a wrong-way driving complaint.
- The Winona County Sheriff’s Office arrested the same driver twice in three days for DWI.
- Minnesota State Patrol troopers stopped a driver for going 107 mph in a 70 mph zone. They arrested the driver for DWI with a 0.14 BAC. Another driver was speeding 99 mph in a 60 mph and was arrested for DWI with a 0.13 BAC.
Highest BAC
- Nobles County Sheriff’s Office (0.44)
- St. Paul Police Department (0.43)
- Faribault Police Department (0.41)
- Anoka Police Department (0.39)
- Crosby Police Department (0.377)
DWI arrests by agency
In the Twin Cities metro area, agencies with the most DWI arrests during the campaign included:
- Minnesota State Patrol — District 2500 (Golden Valley): 84
- St. Paul Police Department: 42
- Minnesota State Patrol — District 2400 (Oakdale): 33
- Shakopee Police Department: 18
- Carver County Sheriff’s Office: 16
In greater Minnesota, agencies with the most arrests included:
- Minnesota State Patrol — District 2700 (Duluth): 23
- Minnesota State Patrol — District 2600 (St. Cloud): 22
- Morrison County Sheriff’s Office: 23
- Mankato Department of Public Safety Police: 20
- Wright County Sheriff’s Office: 20
View the complete list of participating agencies and BAC.
Move Over Law
On Aug. 31, law enforcement also conducted extra enforcement for the state’s Move Over Law.
- There were 125 Move Over citations issued on Aug. 31 compared with 174 last year.
- This year marked the 23rd anniversary of Corporal Ted Foss’ death that led to the Move Over Law.
- As of July 1, 2023, the law was expanded to include stalled or disabled vehicles with lights flashing, or if at least one person is visibly present outside the vehicle.
DWI statistics
- Law enforcement across the state arrested 19,035 drivers for DWI so far in 2023 compared with 18,223 this time last year (as of Sept. 11).
- Alcohol-related crashes contribute to an average of 376 life-changing injuries each year (2018-2022).
- Drugged driving accounted for 8,069 DWI incidents from 2013-2017 compared with 15,810 from 2018-2022 — that’s a 96 percent increase.
Learn the new cannabis law
Just like how drinking alcohol in a vehicle is illegal, it’s illegal under the new cannabis law for:
- Drivers or passengers to open any cannabis packaging, use marijuana or consume other cannabis products in a vehicle.
- Drivers or passengers to have an unsealed or open container of marijuana (for example, 2 ounces in a zip-close bag). Just like with alcohol, the only exception is an unsealed container or other opened products must be kept in the trunk of a car or another area not accessible by the driver or passengers.
- The driver to be impaired by marijuana or other cannabis products. Driving high is a DWI.
DWI consequences
- Loss of license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in financial costs and possible jail time.
- Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above blood alcohol concentration, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license.
- Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.
Drive smart: prevent impaired driving
- Designate a sober driver.
- Offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
- If you plan to drive, refrain from drugs, whether legally or illegally obtained.
- If you don't yet know how a medication will affect your judgment, coordination and reaction time, either have someone else drive or wait to take it until after you get home.
- Buckle up. It’s the best defense against impaired drivers.
Resources:
About the Minnesota Department Public Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) comprises 10 divisions where 2,100 employees operate programs in the areas of law enforcement, crime victim assistance, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, emergency communications, fire safety, pipeline safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management. DPS activity is anchored by three core principles: education, enforcement and prevention.
About the Office of Traffic Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) designs, implements and coordinates state and federally funded traffic safety enforcement and education programs to improve driver behaviors and reduce the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Minnesota roads. These efforts form a strong foundation for the statewide Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program. OTS also administers state funds for the motorcycle safety program, child seats for needy families program and school bus stop arm camera project.
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