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NIT – If you are traveling to Minnesota this weekend, you should be aware that there will be extra troopers on the roads up north.
The Minnesota State Patrol said Thursday that due to the Fourth of July holiday traditionally being among the deadliest on Minnesota roads, extra troopers will be working, with an an emphasis on Driving While Intoxicated enforcement.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said that nearly seven drivers are arrested per hour for Driving While Intoxicated on July 4, and troopers will be aiming to clear the roads of drunk drivers. The Fourth of July is the deadliest major holiday of the year on Minnesota roads, the agency said, and it ranks as the third deadliest holiday for drunk driving deaths, accounting for 40 percent of all Minnesota traffic fatalities during that holiday period. Only Thanksgiving (54 percent) and Christmas (46 percent) rank higher for drunk driving deaths during holiday periods.
This year has been especially deadly on Minnesota roads and highways. Traffic deaths there climbed to 182 as of July 1, compared to 141 this time last year. However, in 2014, 88 people died from drunk driving-related crashes, a 21 percent decline compared to 2010.
