Driving While Impaired by Alcohol

Alcohol and drugs affect the brain and body, which can affect the safety of a person’s driving. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs can affect a person’s decision-making, behaviors, personal safety, and the safety of others. Driving while impaired (DWI) can occur if a person is driving, operating, or in physical control of a car, motorcycle, boat, snowmobile, ATV, motorbike, off-road vehicle, or any other motor vehicle.(1)

• In 2021, 24,324 DWI arrests were made. This is a 13% decrease from 2017,but is significantly lower than the 35,000 DWI incidents reported in 2008. (2)
• About 1 in 7 Minnesotans has at least one DWI. (2) Multiple DWIs may be a symptom of alcohol or substance use disorder.

Everyone is responsible for keeping our roadways safe. If you are planning to drink or take drugs that may affect your ability to drive, do not drive. If you need to drive, plan to avoid alcohol or drugs that may affect your ability to drive.

Talk to your doctor or health care provider if you are concerned with your, or someone else’s alcohol or drug use.

Impaired driving causes injury and death

Minnesotans are drinking and driving. More than 100,000 Minnesotans self-reported drinking and driving at least once in a 30-day period in 2020.4

• In 2021, 2,228 people suffered from injuries in alcohol-related crashes (2)
• 74 people died due to impaired driving in 20214 – a decrease from 79 deaths in 2020.2
• In 2021, 72% of DWI offenders were male, and half were 20 to 34 years old. (2)
• A DWI can cost upwards of $20,000, jail time, loss of license, and higher insurance premiums.

To be able to legally drive, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) – amount of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream— cannot be above 0.08%. Alcohol begins to affect a person at the first sip. The risk of crashes begins to increase at BAC levels below 0.08%.

Visit the CDC website's Impaired Driving: Get the Facts for more information on how different levels of alcohol can affect your behavior and driving.

The “Not a Drop” law prohibits people below the age of 21 to have any amount of alcohol in their system while driving.

Drugged driving

Over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, marijuana, inhalants and illegal substances can affect a person’s driving. Drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines can cause sleepiness or drowsiness while driving. Stimulants - like cocaine and methamphetamine - can cause aggression and reckless driving. Inhalants can cause dizziness and lack of coordination. (4) Drivers under the influence of marijuana have slower reaction times. Marijuana can also cause a person to be more likely to swerve in traffic lanes and be distracted while on the road.(5) Driving under the influence of marijuana is the second most common DWI offense. (4, 5)

Talk to your health care provider about any medications or drugs you are taking, and how they may affect your ability to drive.

Learn more about drugged driving.

Safer ways to get there

• Designate a driver who will not use alcohol or drugs before, or while, driving.
• Don’t let your friends drive impaired.
• Plan ahead for a sober ride before partying.
• Avoid driving to parties where alcohol or drugs are present.
• Wear seat belts.
• Designated drivers, taxis, ride-sharing programs, and public transportation are safer ways to get home.

Report Impaired Drivers

Driving requires a person’s full attention. If a person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the person might:

• Have poor decision-making, judgment or reasoning
• Have slow reaction times
• Have very blurry or double vision
• Feel drowsy or sleepy
• See things that aren’t really there
• Be more violent or aggressive
• Not use a seat belt, life vest, or helmet
• Perform other risky behaviors like drive at very slow or high speeds, and ignore warning and safety signs

If you suspect a person is driving under the influence, call 911 to report them to law enforcement. Get yourself in a safe position to call 911, and try your best to share these key pieces of information:

• License plate, make, and model of the car
• Driver’s location
• Reasons, signs or actions that make you think it is a DWI driver

Additional Resources

• Minnesota Department of Public Safety: Impaired Driving
• Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Initiative (MN TZD)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Drug-Impaired Driving
• National Institute on Drug Abuse: Drugged Driving

Citations

(1)Minnesota Statutes 169A.20

(2) Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2021.

(3) Minnesota Behavior Risk Factor Survey, 2020.

(4) National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, December). Drugged Driving. Accessed 28 March, 2023. 

(5) Compton, R. P. & Berning, A. (2015, February). Drug and alcohol crash risk. (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. DOT HS 812 117). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.