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1 in 7 Minnesotans have DWI on their record, data show

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Published  September 5, 2024 11:33am CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

1 in 7 Minnesotans have DWI on their record

Data shows that one in seven Minnesotans has a DWI on their record, and 40% of those people will reoffend.

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota DWI laws are under the microscope after a man with multiple DWI convictions was charged, accused of crashing into the patio area of The Park Tavern in St. Louis Park and killing two people while injuring at least nine others.

The case is shining a light on the drunk driving problem on Minnesota roads, especially when it comes to repeat offenders.

Minnesota DWI data

While progress has been made to curb drunk driving, Minnesotans are still getting behind the wheel impaired, hurting and killing people in the process.

The Minnesota State Patrol said so far in 2024, there have been 18,053 DWI arrests, compared to 18,080 in 2023. There have also been 5,820 DWI search warrants in 2024 compared to 5,299 last year. 

State data show 74 people lost their lives to an impaired driver and nearly 25,000 people were arrested for DWI in 2021.

Lauren Johnson, from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Minnesota, says one out of every seven people in the state has a DWI on their record. Of those people, 40% will go on to drive drunk again.

"Right around the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, we saw a sharp increase, a drastic increase in drunk driving injuries and fatalities," Johnson said.

Johnson says drunk driving injuries and fatalities have spiked 33% in recent years, in part due to pandemic lifestyle changes and increased enforcement.

"This never had to happen," Johnson said. "And these cases and crashes are 100% preventable."

Hennepin County DWI data

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office released data on felony DWI cases, adding that it charged 87% of the cases.

  • 2024: 69 cases so far this year
  • 2023: 115 cases
  • 2022: 105 cases
  • 2021: 112 cases

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office also shared data on criminal vehicular homicide cases, saying that it charged 70% of those cases. A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said cases are generally declined if "there isn't enough evidence to prove the level of negligence required by law when intoxication is absent."

  • 2024: 15 cases so far this year
  • 2023: 13 cases
  • 2022: 24 cases
  • 2021: 27 cases

Park Tavern crash 

Park Tavern in St. Louis Park is back open following the fatal crash. 

READ MORE: Park Tavern fatal crash: How to help the victims

Steven Bailey, 56, is a tragic example of a repeat offender. He is accused of getting behind the wheel at four times the legal limit and killing two and injuring nearly a dozen others after plowing through the patio of Park Tavern.

READ MORE: Park Tavern fatal crash suspect makes first court appearance

He had five DWI convictions on his record and lost his license twice.

Preventing future tragedies 

Bailey had an interlock system on his vehicle from 2014 to 2020, and while the devices are effective, they aren't a silver bullet.

MADD is looking toward new car technology like alcohol sensors to help stop people from driving drunk.

"These people, they make the choice to drink and drive whether or not they have that interlock system or for that matter, if they have a driver's license," Johnson said. 

MADD does have victim and survivor resources available for those who have been impacted by drunk driving. That includes a 24-hour helpline, which can be reached at 1-800-623-3435.