Impaired Driving Talking Points
Key Messages
1) Alcohol is a leading contributing factor in crashes on Minnesota roads.
· Nearly one out of every four deaths on Minnesota roads is drunk driving-related.
· In the last five years (2011 – 2015), there were 462 drunk driving-related traffic deaths in Minnesota, with 95 people killed in 2015 alone.
o Drunk driving-relating crashes not only take lives, they change them forever. An average of 253 life-changing injuries are caused by drunk driving-related crashes each year.
· In the last five years (2011 – 2015), 24 percent of all fatal crashes during the Labor Day holiday period were drunk driving-related, making it the fourth deadliest major holiday on Minnesota roads.
o In the last five years (2011 – 2015), fatalities have gone up 53 percent during the Labor Day holiday period from the previous five years (2006 – 2010).
o On average, drunk driving will be a contributing factor in one fatality and two life-changing injuries during the Labor Day holiday.
2) A DWI is a serious crime with serious consequences.
· Each year in Minnesota, approximately 27,000 drivers (2011 – 2015) are arrested for DWI.
o 25,027 motorists were arrested for DWI in 2015, translating to nearly 69 DWI arrests per day in Minnesota.
o In the last five years (2011 – 2015), August is the worst month for DWI offenders, averaging 2,509 arrests in the last five years, followed by March (2,399) and July (2,354).
· If you’re arrested, it can cost as much as $20,000 when you factor in court costs, lawyer fees and increased insurance premiums. You can also lose your license for up to a year and face possible jail time.
o Currently, more than 600,000 Minnesota residents have a DWI on record — that’s one out of every seven licensed drivers in Minnesota.
· Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license. Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.
o Interlock users will regain full driving privileges immediately after the offense, ensuring they are driving with a valid license and not a threat on the roadway.
3) Speak up and find a safe ride home for an impaired person.
· Plan for a safe ride — designate a sober driver, take a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the party.
· Offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
· Buckle up — the best defense against a drunk driver.
· Report drunk driving. Call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.
General Campaign Information
· The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety is conducting its bi-annual statewide enforcement and education campaign Aug. 19 – Sept. 5.
o More than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state are participating in the enhanced enforcement.
· Plan a sober ride if you’re planning to drink by designating a sober driver, taking a cab/public transportation or staying at the location of the party.
· When hosting a celebration or going out with friends, don’t be afraid to speak up. Find guests and friends a sober ride home or let them sleep at your house. You could be helping save lives that night.
· Seat belts are your first defense in a crash. Even though you might be doing everything right, others on the road might be making poor decisions.
· Each year, of the drinking drivers killed in alcohol-related crashes, about two in three are not belted.
Too Many Lives Tragically Affected
· There were 1,266 life-changing injuries in 2011 — 2015 that were known to be alcohol-related.
· Thirty eight percent of those who incur a first DWI will incur a second, and 46 percent of those who incur a second DWI will incur a third.
· The cost of alcohol-related traffic crashes and injuries, and impaired-related fatalities in Minnesota, was estimated at more than $234,000,000 in 2015. Costs are calculated using estimates from the National Safety Council and are just direct costs due to medical expense, property damage and lost productivity.
Ignition Interlock Law
· Interlock devices are installed in a vehicle and require a driver to provide a breath sample in order for the vehicle to start.
· The vehicle will not start if the device detects an alcohol-concentration level of 0.02 or above after the driver blows into its tube. Interlocks require rolling re-tests after the initial test, and have features to deter others from starting the vehicle for the intended user.
· The law gives DWI offenders a chance to regain driving privileges by ensuring safe and legal driving through the use of interlocks.
· Highlights of the law include:
o All repeat DWI offenders and first time offenders with a 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level must use ignition interlock on any vehicle they drive to regain driving privileges. If they don’t, they won’t have legal driving privileges for at least one year. Offenders with three or more DWIs in a 10-year period will be required to use an ignition interlock.
o Interlock users will regain full driving privileges immediately after the offense, ensuring they are driving with a valid license and not a threat on the roadway.
o Interlocks will be used to monitor chronic DWI offenders (three or more DWIs in 10 year period) to verify chemical use.
· Benefits to Minnesotans include:
o Safer roads and reduced costs through the use of ignition interlock on high-risk drivers.
o Creates a method for all offenders to obtain a valid driver's license, addressing the epidemic of people driving without a valid license.
o Encourages behavior modification and rehabilitation.
o Diminishes the probability and possibility of a repeat DWI.
Definitions
· Driving While Impaired (DWI) is a violation for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
· Alcohol-related: any evidence of alcohol detected in a driver, pedestrian or bicyclist.
· Impaired-related: any driver, pedestrian or bicyclist with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above.
· Drunk-driving-related: any driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above.
5