Thanksgiving is a great time to reunite with family and friends, which often leads to drinking the night before.  The Minnesota Department of Public Safety wants to make sure everyone plans on finding a sober ride home.

"Blackout Wednesday" is the night before Thanksgiving, when people meet up with friends and family they haven't seen in months.  This often leads to multiple drinks and, unfortunately, drunk drivers out on the roads.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says that, on average, over 25,000 people are arrested for DWI in Minnesota every year and over 2,500 of those DWI arrests happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Don't become a statistic, commit to a sober ride by:

  • Planning for a safe ride — designate a sober driver, use a cab/Uber/Lyft/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
  • Speaking Up – Offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
  • Buckling up — the best defense against a drunk driver.
  • Reporting drunk driving — call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.

This year, the weather will also be a factor so let's look out for each other to ensure everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

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