Minnesota Arrests Over 2,000 for DWI Holidays

During the holiday DWI enforcement campaign in Minnesota from November 27 to December 31, 2024, law enforcement agencies made 2,079 arrests for driving while impaired, a decrease from 2,432 arrests in 2023. The Minnesota State Patrol reported the highest number of arrests in the west metro region, with significant incidents including drivers with blood alcohol contents as high as 0.415 and one individual with 21 prior DWI convictions. Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety, expressed gratitude to sober drivers while emphasizing the importance of law enforcement in protecting the public from impaired drivers. Notably, several law enforcement agencies, including those in Rochester and Duluth, reported multiple serious cases, including wrong-way driving and transporting children while impaired. The campaign was supported by over 300 local agencies and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Overall, Minnesota's impaired driving arrests totaled over 24,000 for the year up to November 2024.