This holiday season, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been asking those who enforce our driving while impaired (DWI) laws a question: What's your why? Why is it important for you to keep impaired drivers off Minnesota's roads?​​​​​

For Michelle Ness, a former deputy and current Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) coordinator for the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, the “why" is actually a “who." When Ness was young, her friend Heather was killed by a drunk driver.

“I watched the aftermath of her death ripple through our coworkers and her family," Ness said. “It tore people​ and relationships apart, in both her life and the drunk driver's."

Ness became a sheriff's deputy a few years later and dedicated her career to honoring Heather's memory by preventing needless deaths caused by impaired driving.

“I'll never know if any impaired drivers I arrested would have been involved in a crash had I not stopped them that day. I hope so," Ness said. “I hope that my intervention led to them making safer choices in the future."

Ness's career as a sheriff's deputy was cut short by a drunk driver who attacked her during a traffic stop, severely injuring her shoulder. Ness stayed with the department as a TZD coordinator. She no longer patrols on Minnesota's roads; however, she supports the law enforcement officers who are out every day keeping our roads safe.

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office is just one of our law enforcement partners participating in extra DWI enforcement this holiday season. Our Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is coordinating the enforcement, education and awareness campaign with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Our goal? Stopping drivers who appear impaired before the worst happens. Fifty people died in drunk driving-related crashes between the day before Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve from 2018 to 2022.

Each DWI risks the loss of a license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time. Repeat offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above blood alcohol concentration, must use an ignition interlock device to regain their driving privileges.

Even with all those costs, it's still better than what could happen in a crash. Getting behind the wheel while impaired, whether it's by alcohol or other substances, is incredibly dangerous.

Alcohol-related crashes not only take lives, they also change them forever. Alcohol-related crashes contribute to an average of 341 serious injuries (2018-2022) each year. Those crashes can leave people with chronic pain, medical bills and other problems that follow them for years.

These crashes are preventable. The best way to save those lives is to have a sober driver. Either designate one from your group or plan for an alternative transportation option. If you see an impaired person about to get behind the wheel, speak up and get them a safe ride home.

Also, don't forget to buckle up. It's the best defense against impaired drivers.