It is common knowledge that Minnesota takes a hard line approach to drunk driving penalties: even first-time offenders can face substantial jail time, fines of up to $3,000 and a heavy smattering of license-related fees once they try to reinstate their driver’s license after a period of suspension. Repeat DWI offenders are raked over the coals to an even higher degree.

For years, the machine primarily used to detect breath alcohol content in Minnesota was the Intoxilyzer 5000. However, numerous errors became evident in the Intoxilyzer 5000’s source code (the internal computer code upon which the device is completely reliant). Now, law enforcement authorities are moving away from the Intoxilyzer 5000 — but many DWI cases have nonetheless been left in limbo, and alternative alcohol testing methods, such as urine testing for DWIs, have also failed to withstand scientific scrutiny.

July 2012 marks the one-year anniversary of Minnesota’s DWI ignition interlock program. An ignition interlock is a device affixed to a vehicle that will not allow it to start unless the driver provides a breath sample and his or her blood alcohol level registers below a preset limit (in Minnesota, .02, the equivalent of about one drink). Ignition interlocks also require drivers to provide periodic breath samples while operating their vehicles.

The colder season is filled with holiday festivities. It is tradition for Minnesotans to partake in the merriment of Thanksgiving get-togethers, Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations. The holidays are a time to reunite with old friends and family. However, along with many of these festivities comes the spirit of overindulgence: plenty of gifts, an assortment of rich foods and, in many instances, one too many alcoholic beverages.

According to figures from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, roughly 160 drivers across the state were arrested. on May 10, 2013, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Roughly 80 of the arrests were made in the Twin Cities.

It’s no secret that law enforcement authorities significantly step up drunk driving patrols during certain holidays. This year, with St. Patrick’s Day in the rearview mirror, more Minnesotans than ever are facing a drunk driving charge.

In March, four Democratic U.S. Senators, Harry Reid, D-Utah, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Tom Udall, D-N.M., drafted a letter requesting that Apple, Google and Research in Motion (or RIM) eliminate the applications (user-friendly computer programs for specific tasks) on mobile communication devices that warn drivers of the locations of drunk-driving checkpoints.