DWI is a crime that is aggressively pursued in Minnesota because of the dangers that it poses to society. Fortunately, statistics show that Minnesota roads were safer in 2013. A new study by the Department of Public Safety showed that impaired-related traffic deaths dropped by nine percent over 2012.
This does not mean that there are fewer individuals driving drunk on the roads or being accused of driving drunk. The arrests are still happening daily throughout the state and the convictions are still taking place with attorneys fighting the questionable results of blood and urine tests, and much more.
However, the deaths have decreased. In 2013, there were 95 deaths related to impaired driving, which was down from 104 in 2012. The downward trend is something that has been occurring for a number of years now.
The drunk driving campaigns by law enforcement continue as well, such as the most recent one that went through Labor Day. Through heavy patrols, the hope of law enforcement is to drop the number even more in 2014 and continue the downward trend for the long –term.
The Office of Traffic Safety director has been quoted as saying that they want the steady decrease of impaired-related fatalities to continue into the future, mainly because there are so many families dealing with the devastating loss of their loved ones. She stated that the majority plans ahead for a sober ride so that there is no possibility of them driving drunk after having a good time at a friend’s house, at a party, or at a bar. By arranging for a sober ride, the lives of other motorists can be spared.
It was also found in the report that 59 percent of the motorists arrested for DWI in 2013 were first-time offenders. There were a total of 25,719 people arrested state-wide throughout the year.
What drivers can expect for the remainder of the year is for there to be increased patrols during holidays. This is because holidays are when the most accidents occur throughout Minnesota. Individuals have cookouts, dinners, and other events and there tends to be alcohol involved, which leads to an increase in DWI arrests in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota.
This could also mean that there is an increase in the number of DWI accusations that occur throughout the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Many times, just because a person is arrested it doesn’t mean that they are going to be convicted of DWI. There are many factors that go into a DWI arrest and many more that go into a conviction. Many times, DWI charges are successfully challenged in Minnesota, so the number of convictions do not equal the number of arrests that take place within the state.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for DWI, contact Minnesota DWI attorney, F.T. Sessoms, to get all the answers to your DWI questions.