Good news: Drunk driving, drug-related incidents decrease for the fourth year
Good news: Drunk driving, drug-related incidents decrease for the fourth year
By KAYLA GAHAGAN, DMG Writer
HOUGHTON — The numbers for Michigan’s drunk driving arrests, convictions, crashes, fatalities and injuries involving alcohol and drugs have fallen for the fourth consecutive year, according to an audit by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).
The audit, issued by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, shows that alcohol and/or drug-related fatalities fell 2.4 percent from 418 in 2004 to 408 in 2005.
Injuries resulting from alcohol and/or drug related crashes decreased by about 8 percent, from 8,667 in 2004 to 7,982 in 2005.
There were 54,056 drunk and impaired-driving arrests reported across the state in 2005, down 1.8 percent from 55,070 in 2004.
In the Upper Peninsula, Houghton County had the highest number of drinking-related crashes with 17 percent involving alcohol. Keweenaw County had the highest number of injury crashes involving drugs and alcohol with 6 percent.
Baraga County had the lowest number of percentage of crashes involving drugs or alcohol, with 8 percent alcohol-related and no drug-related crashes.
“Law enforcement officers across Michigan are vigilant when it comes to enforcing drunk driving laws because drunk and drugged driving remain significant traffic safety issues,” said Michigan State Police Director Colonel Peter Munoz in a written statement. “Despite the state’s continuing decline in crashes and fatalities, approximately 35 percent of all fatal crashes that occurred last year involved alcohol and/or drug use.”
Sgt. Jamie Patterson of the MSP Eighth District headquarters in Marquette, said he credits the declines to increased awareness from campaigns such as, “You drink, you drive, you lose” and ramped-up patrolling specifically targeting drunk driving.
He said that they expected the numbers to be quite different after the state enacted a change of the legal definition of drunk driving from .10 blood alcohol level to .08 in September 2003.
“We thought we’d see a spike in arrests, but we haven’t,” he said. “People are heeding warnings. I hope it continues.”
Kayla Gahagan can be reached at kgahagan@mininggazette.com
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