Extra DWI patrols on New Year’s Eve wraps Minnesota’s holiday safety push

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As you ring in the new year, authorities urge people to celebrate responsibly and to not get behind the wheel if you are impaired in any way.

Hundreds of law enforcement agencies across Minnesota are closing out their holiday season with extra Driving While Impaired (DWI) enforcement on Tuesday night.

Minnesota DWI Dashboard

What we know: Minnesota State Patrol said agencies do see an uptick of DWIs around the holidays and times of celebration.

The statewide DWI dashboard was made available to the public for the first time this year.

Authorities said it shows that, unfortunately, these preventable incidents and tragedies happen all across the state.

"We arrest around 30,000 impaired drivers a year," said Lt. Mike Lee, Public Information Officer for Minnesota State Patrol. "You can see on the map that there’s nowhere in Minnesota where there’s no DWI arrests."

More than 300 local law enforcement agencies have increased DWI patrols starting Thanksgiving week and ending on New Year’s Eve.

"Starting right after Thanksgiving. The holiday time is the time where people get together, meet friends, family, and we love that. We want people to get together and enjoy their time. We just want people to get home safely and make good decisions on the road," said Lee.

Safety reminders

What they’re saying: "If you’re questioning, can I drive, should I drive, the answer is clear to us. Don’t drive, don’t take that risk," said Lee. "If you feel different, you drive different."

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his agency will also be out on the roads on Tuesday night. 

"We will be out there looking for drunk drivers. We have been arresting a whole lot more drunk drivers than we have been in the past," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

Authorities said they hope by people seeing the increased police presence, it will cause people to pause and plan ahead.

"The cost of a ride-share is nothing compared to the cost of someone’s life ending," said O’Hara. "They affect not just the family of someone who might be injured or killed as a result of a drunk driver, but also they affect the family of the person who has been drinking and driving."

‘Impaired is impaired’

Dig deeper: Authorities said both legal and illegal substances can impact ability to drive safely.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, a DWI can lead to loss of license for up to a year, along with thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time.

Repeat offenders and those arrested at 0.16 and above blood alcohol concentration must use ignition interlock to regain driving privileges.

And just like how drinking alcohol in a car is illegal, it is also illegal for drivers or passengers to open any cannabis packaging or consume cannabis while driving.