Authorities step up DWI enforcement in Winona Co.

WINONA, Minn. (WKBT) — If you’re driving through Winona County over the next six weeks as part of your holiday travels, you may notice an extra presence on the roads.

Authorities in Winona County are taking part in a statewide effort for extra DWI enforcement, running every weekend through the end of December.

Officials say Thanksgiving ranks third among all holidays when it comes to drunk driving-related deaths behind only the Fourth of July and Christmas.

They’re reminding people to think ahead before heading to any holiday parties over the next 6 weeks.

“We do see a lot of alcohol use and you know, the secret is knowing when to say when or just having a plan to get home safely, whether that’s calling a friend, calling a cab, walking, whatever the case may be. Just having that plan ahead of time saves a lot of headaches down the road,” said Jeff Peterson from Winona County.

Winona County was one of the counties chosen for extra enforcement during the holiday season because it ranked 13th in the state of Minnesota in terms of DWI arrests and crashes.