The joy of the holidays can quickly change with poor, selfish decisions. Christmas has the second highest percentage of drunk driving-related fatalities (35.3 percent) during a major holiday period, followed by Thanksgiving (33.3 percent). The July 4 holiday has the highest percentage at 45.5 percent.
To help keep the roads safe during the holidays, Clay County Law Enforcement agencies will be participating with law enforcement statewide in an extra DWI enforcement campaign starting Nov. 23 and on weekends through Dec. 30.
Officers, deputies and troopers from more than 300 agencies will be working overtime with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) coordinates the extra enforcement and education effort.
Learning from History
Summer enforcement is behind us but there are lessons to be learned from drivers’ poor choices as Minnesotans begin celebrating the holidays. Troopers, sheriff deputies and police made 1,351 DWI arrests during the end-of-summer extra enforcement campaign. Committing to a sober drive is never too late.
DWI Consequences
- Loss of license for up to a year, 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.
Prevent Drunk Driving
- Plan for a safe ride – designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
- Speak Up – Offer to be a designated driver, or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
- Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.
- Report drunk driving – call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.
Local agencies participating in the statewide campaign are the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Dilworth Police Department, Glyndon Police Department, Hawley Police Department, and the Moorhead Police Department.
The enhanced DWI enforcement campaign is a component of the state’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) program. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture in Minnesota in which motorists support a goal of zero road fatalities by practicing and promoting safe and smart driving behavior. TZD focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes – education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical and trauma response.
Lt. Deric Swenson, 218-299-5202
