It’s that time of year again! Are you ready? As it does every year, our lives are about to get much busier. The holiday season brings many extra fun activities, parties, and events for us to participate in. As we celebrate with family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, we might also be enjoying a few alcoholic beverages. Of course, it is exciting to try some of the seasonal beverages or a new cocktail, but we also have to remember that we need to get home safely after the fun.
Driving while impaired is a choice that too many people are making again and again: 41 percent of drivers arrested for a DWI in 2015 in Minnesota had at least one previous drunk driving conviction. There are nearly 266,000 drivers in Minnesota with more than one DWI on their record.
More than 300 law enforcement agencies (police, sheriff and state patrol) will be looking to take DWI Offenders off the road during extra enforcement this holiday season. The extra enforcement is funded, in part, through the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A DWI offense can result in loss of license for one to six years, thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time. Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, 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.
Not only is drunk driving an illegal activity, it can also be a costly one. During the 2017-2021 December months, there were more than 4,500 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes nationwide. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. The average DUI costs $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more. If you are caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time. That arrest will follow you for many years to come. Drinking and driving can cause you to lose your driver’s license and your vehicle. This could prevent you from getting to work, resulting in lost wages and, potentially, job loss.
So, let’s plan ahead for safe celebrations!
• Always drive 100% sober. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many.
• Plan ahead: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one.
• You have options to get home safely: designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it. Some local establishments participate in our JOYRIDE Sober Cab Program ($10 voucher towards cab ride, check with the establishment).
• If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.
• If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.
As your Wright County Attorney, please join me in making this holiday season not only a joyous one, but also a safe one. Together, we can reduce DWIs and minimize DWI-related crashes that injure and kill too many citizens every year. Enjoy this holiday season and be safe!
Thank you.
Brian A. Lutes
Wright County Attorney