Figures of Minnesota’s alcohol-related fatalities last year were released earlier in September. The tally revealed that 2010 held the lowest number of crash deaths on record in Minnesota which were related to drunk driving. Five years ago, alcohol caused the death of 166 motorists on Minnesota roads. Last year showed a drop of 21%, which lowered the count of deaths down to 131.
According to the DPS, the decline in the number of fatalities related to alcohol is caused by safer driver decisions, enhanced enforcement and education campaigns and encouragement of safe alternatives. This combination of programs made a big impact on increased enforcement awareness. The Minnesota DWI court’s support of these and other programs to battle against impaired driving also obtained positive results in establishing long-term change of behavior.
The record shows that 791 people died in alcohol-related crashes from 2006 to 2010 with an average of 170 fatalities yearly. In 2006, the number of deaths was 166, 190 deaths in 2007, 163 deaths in 2008, 141 deaths in 2009 and 131 deaths in 2010.
During this 5-year period, there were 178,887 DWI arrests in Minnesota. Although the recent years showed progress through fewer alcohol-related fatalities, they still accounted for 32% of the total 411 traffic deaths.
Tougher DWI sanctions imposed against repeat DWI offenders which took effect July 1 is a new initiative to further reduce impaired driving. The new sanctions require certain offenders to install an interlock ignition device for a minimum of one year. Should offenders choose not to install the device in their vehicles, their driving privileges are suspended for one year.
The interlock ignition device requires the driver to breathe into a breath testing device for the vehicle’s engine to start. The level of blood alcohol content of the driver is then measured by the device through the provided breath sample.
If you’ve been charged with DWI in Minnesota, your best first move is to contact an experienced and respected DUI Attorney who will defend your DWI case. Douglas T. Kans, a top DUI Lawyer in Minneapolis , will provide you with the aggressive defense you need in order to ensure the best possible resolution of your DUI/DWI case. You can contact Kans Law Firm at (952) 835-6314 for a free case review.
