Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial holiday here in the United States, and as a result, many people take the liberty of enjoying some beers during the biggest football game on the planet. Unfortunately, this can lead to some unfortunate events during Super Bowl Sunday, such as people consuming alcohol and then getting behind the wheel of a car.
In past years in Minnesota, the DUI numbers have not been pretty on Super Bowl Sunday. For example, since 2010, an average of 190 people have been arrested for drinking and driving on Super Bowl Sunday. However, this year it was a much different story.
Only 65 people were arrested for driving under the influence on Super Bowl Sunday, a marked decline from the average numbers posted since 2010. It’s also part of a fantastic trend in the state of Minnesota regarding drunk driving overall. 2014 saw about 1,500 fewer DUI arrests than 2013. Public awareness campaigns and the reception by our state’s great citizens has led to a dramatic drop in the number of drunk driving cases.
And yet, no amount of public awareness or public knowledge will ever truly eliminate drunk driving from our state. There will always be mistakes made by people who simply have a little too much to drink, think they are okay to drive, and then do so.
While acknowledging this reality, it’s also important to acknowledge that people who are accused of drunk driving have rights, and that they are innocent until proven guilty.Â
Source: WCCO, “Super Bowl Drunk Driving Arrests Down Significantly In Minnesota,” Feb. 2, 2015
