Every year, thousands of Minnesotans use the Halloween holiday — and adjacent weekends — as a reason to get together with friends and loved ones. In order to prepare for the occasion, some people put forward a significant effort to assemble the perfect costume.
At the same time, however, a recent report from state law enforcement suggests that residents should make some additional preparations. Namely, those who celebrate Halloween should expect increased drunk driving patrols on Minnesota roads. Police indicated that they will be out in force on the days leading up to the holiday. As such, a night of fun could result in serious legal penalties.
Officials also indicated that they have arrested nearly 2,500 people in the days before Halloween during the last five years for driving while intoxicated charges. They hope to be equally aggressive in making arrests this year too.
On a night when a partygoer might consciously limit his or her drinking to accommodate for the drive home, one extra drink could be the difference between legal sobriety and legal trouble. Even those who feel like they are under the legal limit when deciding to drive might blow .08 percent or higher when asked to take a Breathalyzer test by police.
Of course, if a person winds up facing DWI charges, legal options are available. Just because police are out in large numbers for the holiday, doesn’t mean they are immune from making mistakes when they pull someone over and make a drunk driving arrest.
As the holiday celebrations approach, it may be best to make preparations. Despite the fact that Halloween is all about tricks and treats, Minnesota police will not be fooling around when it comes to DWI arrests.
Source: The St. Paul Pioneer Press, “State Patrol to increase DWI enforcement over Halloween weekend,” Will Ashenmacher, Oct. 24, 2013
