NEW ULM — After falling in number since 2021, Minnesota traffic deaths are higher this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). There have been 437 Minnesota traffic fatalities and more than 24,000 DWI arrests as of Tuesday, 2024. That compares to 376 traffic deaths on the same date in 2023, 402 in all of 2023, 444 in 2022, 488 in 2021 and 394 in 2020. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 664 alcohol-related driving deaths and there were more than 127,400 DWI arrests. “We have a higher number of traffic fatalities this year. There was a downward trend ...