The holiday season is here once again, a chance to see family and friends and celebrate a successful year. For many people the holiday season means more traveling, more spending and more celebrating, but across the state this celebrating can also result in more Minnesota DWI arrests.

This year, once again, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety will increase its holiday enforcement patrols beginning Thanksgiving eve (Nov. 27). The increased patrols will run through the rest of the calendar year.

Thanksgiving weekend has historically been a busy time for DWI-related incidents. From 2010-12, 1,522 motorists were arrested for DWI during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday. Seven people were killed in car crashes during that time, five as a result of a drunk-driving related accident and three because they were not wearing their seatbelt.

Drunk driving accidents killed 104 people in 2012 while 2,644 people were injured. A total of 28,418 people were arrested for DWI in 2012 with an average blood alcohol-concentration (BAC) of .154.

If you plan to celebrate this holiday season and you're worried you may not be able to drive, remember to plan for a sober ride. You can either by ask a friend to bring you home or plan ahead to call a taxi. Arriving home safe and sound is better than being arrested for DWI.

If you are arrested for DWI, you could pay thousands of dollars in expenses, face possible jail time and even lose your license for one year. If you are a repeat DWI offender or you are arrested with a BAC over .16, you will be required to use the interlock ignition program to restore your driving privileges or you will lose your driver's license for one year.

If you find yourself in need of experienced legal counsel this season, contact Attorney Eric J. Olson for vigorous defense and unrivaled results.