DWI patrols increased for St. Paddy’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is the holiday period with the highest percentage of alcohol-related traffic deaths and the most DWI arrests in the last five years, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
St. Patrick’s Day has the highest percentage of deaths from drunken drivers of all holidays, the Minnesota State Patrol reported today, and officials say increased patrols will be on the state’s roads Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
St. Patrick’s Day is the holiday period with the highest percentage of alcohol-related traffic deaths and the most DWI arrests in the last five years, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Of the 20 traffic deaths on March 17 and early hours of March 18, from 2004-2008, 12 deaths, or 55 percent, were alcohol-related. That’s far above the average annual percentage of around 35 percent of all deaths related to alcohol.
Only the Fourth of July is a deadlier impaired-driving period, with 23 people dead and 52 percent of those alcohol-related.
From 2004–2008, 1,725 motorists were arrested for DWI surrounding St. Patrick’s Day. The DWI enforcement will include seat belt patrols, as 75 percent of impaired drivers killed annually are also not buckled up.
Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol said drinkers need to be aware of the effects of alcohol, especially on day-long party events such as St. Patrick’s Day. He says partiers will likely still be impaired later in the day despite breaks in drinking from the morning or afternoon and they should not risk driving under any circumstance.
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