DWI Arrests Going Back Up in Minnesota

UNDATED -- State leaders say the number of people getting arrested for drunk driving is going back up again, after a sharp decline when the Governor's executive orders first went into effect.

From this past Friday through Monday there were 164 DWI arrests in Minnesota.  That compares to 126 March 20th through the 23rd.

Here is a breakdown of DWIs each weekend since March 20 in Minnesota:

• May 1-4: 164
• April 24-27: 143
• April 17-20: 133
• April 10-13: 118
• April 3-6: 109
• March 29-April 1: 94
• March 20-23: 126 (The average number of DWI arrests each weekend before COVID-19 was 265.)

The increase in DWI arrests is despite the volume of traffic on the roads still being down. This past weekend the Minnesota Department of Transportation says traffic volumes were 25 to 30 percent below the weekend averages for May of last year.

• Metro area: Traffic volumes on Saturday, May 2 were down 26 percent compared to Saturday averages for May 2019. Traffic volumes on Sunday, May 3 were down 27 percent compared to Sunday averages for May 2019.
• Statewide: Traffic volumes on Saturday, May 2 were down 28 percent compared to Saturday averages for May 2019. Traffic volumes on Sunday, May 3 were down 30 percent compared to Sunday averages for May 2019.