Several state lawmakers have proposed a ban on all cellphone use while driving except in emergencies or hands-free mode. The bill is co-authored by Rep. Frank Hornstein (D-Minneapolis) and Rep. Mark Uglem (R-Champlin). If passed, Minnesota would join 14 other states—and Washington, D.C.—with such a “hands-free” law. Read More...

Pursuant to Minnesota law, DWI suspects who refuse a breath test are in violation of the state’s implied consent law which criminalizes such an act, subjecting the suspect to additional legal and administrative sanctions. Whereas once refusing to submit to a blood and/or urine test was also deemed in violation of the law, recent court rulings have determined that blood and/or urine tests require law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant. Read More...

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently released additional guidelines supporting its efforts to end drunk driving in the United States. Among these guidelines include the ongoing development of in-vehicle technology designed to identify drunk drivers while unassumingly testing them and improving highway design. Read More...

Distracted driving—particularly texting while driving—is a growing problem that results in numerous automobile accidents—and fatalities—each year. This type of driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. Read More...

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd is currently on probation and house arrest for a DWI in Arizona from when he was a member of the Cardinals. Among the conditions of his probation is to submit to and pass breath alcohol tests several times per day. In mid-June, Floyd failed several of these tests. Specifically, he blew .055 at 5:30 a.m., .045 at 5:54 a.m., and .044 at 6:23 a.m. Floyd denied having consumed alcohol and, therefore, skipped his next test. Read More...

Over 3,000 teenagers die each year in alcohol-related accidents. Additionally, the rate of drunk-driving accidents is higher for motorists between the ages of 16 and 20. This high rate is due to teenagers’ inexperience with alcohol and the fact that they take greater risks while being less cautious. When a teenager gets behind the wheel while drunk, s/he not only puts him/herself at risk, but also other motorists, pedestrians, and property. As a result, teenage drunk driving laws across the US are quite harsh and follow a zero-tolerance principle. Read More...

President Trump’s Justice Department (DOJ) is pursuing federal drug crime suspects more vigorously than has been the case over the past eight years. In a stark reversal of Obama administration drug-related policies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is directing federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges available against most drug crime suspects. Read More...

Recently, two Minnesota lawmakers introduced legislation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. If this law passes, Minnesota would join eight other states and the District of Columbia that permit the legal sale and use of marijuana. These states include Colorado, Washington, California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Maine. Read More...

The Minnesota legislature is considering a new DWI/DUI driver’s license revocation law. Introduced by Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) who is chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, Senate File 2375 would repeal Minnesota Statute Section 169A.51, subdivision 3 which delineates types of available blood alcohol content (BAC) tests for DWI suspects. Read More...

Alcohol absorption is the process of how alcohol enters the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol gets distributed throughout the body and into various tissues and organs until the metabolic process eliminates it. Understanding how these factors contribute to intoxication is key in any discussion of DUI/DWI. Read More...