Minnesota agencies remind everyone about safety ahead of holiday weekend

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A holiday synonymous with consuming alcohol is here and Minnesota law enforcement is ready.

Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, State Patrol and others gathered on Friday ahead of St. Patrick’s Day to remind everyone to be safe and responsible during the celebration.

“We want people to have a good time. Enjoy yourselves, make the holiday a holiday, but we also want people to be very smart,” Director of the Office of Traffic Safety Mike Hanson said. “Know this, if you drive impaired you will be arrested and there will be consequences for your choice.”

The Minnesota State Patrol will be enforcing extra DWI enforcements throughout the holiday weekend. So far in 2025, there have been 51 Minnesotans who lost their lives in traffic accidents. Alcohol was a contributing factor in at least seven of these deaths.

“A night out isn’t worth ruining by injuring someone or possibly killing somebody, being arrested, having a significant amount of fines [and] possibly losing your license,” Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Mike Lee said. “Please think ahead and drive safely.”

During the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day weekend, there were 438 DWI Arrests from Friday to Monday. From 2019-2024, on St. Patrick’s Day, there were at least 10 fatalities. This is according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

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