Question: How long has there been a drunk driving law in Minnesota?
Answer: The Minnesota Legislature criminalized DWI in 1911, making "driving while in an intoxicated manner" a misdemeanor. The laws and sanctions addressing DWI have certainly evolved in the past 104 years. The strengthened efforts are successfully working to get drunk drivers off the roads:
• Evidence of influence was set at 0.15 Blood Alcohol Concentration in 1917.
• The first civil sanctions for DWI (Implied Consent) began in 1961.
• A per se level of 0.10 BAC was attached to administrative license sanctions in 1971 (Minnesota was the first state to take such action).
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• The concept of BAC changed to Alcohol Concentration in 1978.
• License plate impoundment began in 1988.
• Test refusal becomes a criminal offense in 1989.
• Child Endangerment enhancement and "Not a Drop" law enacted in 1993.
• High AC (0.20+) added as an enhancement in 1997.
• Felony level penalties established in 2001.
• Per se level lowered to 0.08 AC in 2004.
• Ignition Interlock added in 2010.
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• A gross misdemeanor DWI driving offense was lowered to an alcohol concentration of 0.16 from a 0.20 in 2015 for first-time offenders.
Minnesota's enhanced DWI enforcement and education efforts are contributing to the reduction of alcohol-related deaths. The report shows drunk driving-related fatalities have decreased by 25 percent in the past five years (2010-2014), yet with 88 deaths caused by a drunk driver in 2014, there is much more work to be done. While we are also encouraged by the continued drop in DWIs, the 25,258 motorists arrested for DWI last year is unacceptable.
The average blood alcohol concentration for drivers with a DWI was 0.15, with the average BAC for a drunk driver involved in a fatal crash being 0.19. One out of every seven licensed Minnesota drivers has at least one DWI.
The legal limit for driving impaired in Minnesota is 0.08-but motorists can be arrested for DWI at lower levels. The consequences for driving impaired will vary for each DWI offender. A typical penalty for a first-time offender is loss of license for a minimum of 30 days up to a year and possible jail time. DWI costs can be as high as $20,000 when factoring court costs, legal fees and increased insurance premiums.
If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Neil Dickenson, Minnesota State Patrol, at 1131 Mesaba Ave., Duluth, MN 55811; on Twitter @MSPPIO_NE; or by email at neil.dickenson@state.mn.us .
