In much of Minnesota, Labor Day marks the end of summer. With the last day of the State Fair and most schools resuming on Tuesday, the Labor Day holiday is often seen as closing weekend of summer.
And to celebrate that last big weekend, many people drive to cabin or the lake, go camping or host picnics or parties at their homes. The trouble with three-day weekends is that some who would otherwise be careful with their consumption of alcoholic beverages may throw caution to the wind and overindulge.
That raises your risk of being arrested and charged with a DWI or worse, being involved with an accident and injured or killed. And Labor Day is the second deadliest holiday of the year, after the Fourth of July. And according to the Minnesota Department of Safety, it’s only one death behind the Fourth of July.
This increased risk has led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration supplying the funding to local law enforcement to increase the number of officers on the highways. And their job during this increased enforcement to look for drunk drivers.
With the added emphasis on DWI enforcement, and more than 300 law enforcement agencies taking part, chances are there will be some problematic traffic stops, where the evidence of impairment may not be as strong.
And with any DWI arrest, the risk of very negative consequences is real. A DWI conviction can mean a suspended license, fines, jail time. Even if you avoid jail, your license could be suspended and in order to be able to drive at all you could be required to install an ignition interlock, at your own expense.
No matter the circumstance of your arrest, you should consult with an attorney who can advise you of your options and work to protect your right to drive.
Source: mprnews.org, “Police step up DWI enforcement through Labor Day,” Tim Nelson, Aug 20, 2015
