More than 400 people are killed on Minnesota roads each year and the cause behind many of the deaths is drinking and driving.
As a law enforcement officer, I have responded to my fair share of alcohol-related crashes. I’ve seen the horrors of these preventable tragedies.
Just in Crow Wing County over the last three years, alcohol-related crashes accounted for seven deaths and 11 serious injuries — costing us $10,143,800. During this same period, 1,302 impaired drivers were arrested for DWI.
Please do your part to keep our roads safe by not drinking and driving. Whatever your plans are to celebrate, celebrate safely! Adherence to the following safe driving tips can make our roadways safer throughout Minnesota during this holiday season:
• If you plan on partying, plan on a safe ride in advance.
• Designate a sober driver.
• Let family/friends know you will be available at any time to offer a safe ride home.
• Take a cab or public transportation.
• Sleep over at a friend’s house or the location of the celebration.
• Leave your vehicle behind — you can retrieve your vehicle the next day.
• Buckle up. Motorists should wear lap belts low and snug across the hips; shoulder straps should never be tucked under an arm or behind the back — not only is this unsafe, it is illegal.
• Report impaired driving — call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Witnesses must be prepared to provide location, license plate and observed dangerous behavior.
Remember, preventing unnecessary deaths on Minnesota roads is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t risk getting behind the wheel after drinking too much — impaired motorists will be arrested and face the consequences.
Joe Dwyer
Crow Wing County Passenger Safety
Coalition Member
Comments (9)
Add commentDWI patrols
While i agree with your advice about drinking and driving, I disagree with the way law enforcement chooses to harass law abiding citizens during these "DWI patrols" Stopping people for trumped up reasons just to ask if they have been drinking isn't the answer. Having been stopped several times on my way home from work during bar close hours for stupid reasons that didn't exist, ranging from expired registration tabs, (they were current) to you have a tail light out, (it wasn't) gets a little old. On more than one occasion the first thing out of the officers mouth was have you had anything to drink, Not the reason i was stopped or to ask for drivers license or registration. Any resistance on my part was met with threats of arrest or traffic tickets, or just plain rude comments. While i agree, drunk driving is an issue, Nor do i advocate it, i don't feel law enforcement needs to go overboard and harass law abiding citizens. I thought it was protect and serve, not bully and harass.
Towpro
I expect it to get worse. Ya know they have to justify that new L E C somehow right?? Remember the county needs more room for all there toys.
funny
Notice the dislikes to our comments ? probably members of the cotton top club, who never venture out the door past dark, and never drive less than 10 mph under the speed limit on any road. Trust me, if i didnt have to drive during bar hour i wouldn't. But i work out of town and unfortunately have to be on the road to get home. Sad that no one speaks up and brings this kind of stuff to the proper officials. We the sheeple, have granted too much leeway to law enforcement, allowing them to do this kind of crap.
If you get stopped when
If you get stopped when sober, good for you. Too many people are getting murdered by drunks, so tough hop if you don't like it.
Really ?
What a truly ignorant comment Larry, did you think that one up all by yourself ? Remember it when the shoe is on your foot. As long as it don't effect you, its all good right ?
They stop them
the judges sentence them and then they keep driving without a license - many repeat the crime and still stay out of jail. It does no good to sentence them and not pay for their crime.
If you are not drinking and
If you are not drinking and driving, you have nothing to worry about. The ones complaining about too much police presence, are the first to call them when they are in trouble. You can call me names if you wish, it shows your intelligence level.
No where
No where in my post, did i call you names Larry, lets make this clear, I have no problem with police presence, glad to have them around, however i do have a problem with law enforcement stopping (sober) law abiding drivers, using trumped up "probable cause" reasons solely for hunting drunks. To assume every car on the road during bar hour must have a drunk behind the wheel is considered predictive profiling in my book. Under Minnesota law, a vehicle cannot be stopped unless the officer has a reasonable and articulate basis to believe a traffic law or other law has been violated. So, in a nut shell, I'm all for taking drunk drivers off the road, your right, too many people dying as a result. With that being said, taking drunks off the road is not the issue here, its law enforcement's practice of predictive profiling. I believe done in the above context, its a violation of my rights. I see both sides of the coin, but where do we draw the line against further erosion of our rights ?
How do fatal accidents cost
How do fatal accidents cost US as taxpayers? I've never understood that.