As I written about in the past, Minnesota highway deaths have continued to lessen. This is great news. But, drunk driving still plays way too much of a role in the deaths that did take place. IN 2011, 131 motorists died in alcohol-related crashes in Minnesota. That's 21 percent lower than the number five years ago. As compared to 2009 it is better then the 141 people who died and 2,592 people who were injured in alcohol-related crashes.
The good news is that the overall numbers are dropping. But, drinking still accounts for a third of all Minnesota highway deaths. Hopefully, the ongoing education about drinking and driving will see this number continue to drop.
The Minneapolis Tribune pointed out a number of good signs:
During this year's Fourth of July holiday period, which has traditionally been the most deadly time to travel state roads, there were no fatalities. On St. Patrick's Day, the second deadliest holiday for drivers, there were 246 arrests for drunken driving this year, a drop from the 286 arrested in 2011. The St. Patrick's Day results were especially significant because officials worried that there would be a spike this year due to the holiday falling on a Saturday
The numbers suggest improvement and that law enforcement and maybe the legislature could go even further. It may require another look at the joint and several laws. When the law was revised, bars were granted reduced liability when they serve a drunk and the drunk causes a tragedy. Let's see if even more can be done to make things safer.
