Under Another Influence

Criminal reports in one state show that while drunk driving down, drugged driving up significantly.

An annual review of traffic crime in Michigan is offering anti-DUI advocates a mixed bag of results and is believed to be reflective of criminal trends nationwide. The 2010 Michigan Drunk Driving Audit shows measurable progress is being made in the reduction of traffic crashes and fatalities related to alcohol use, but the incidence of driving while under the influence of drugs and other illegal narcotics is growing at an alarming rate.

The number of deaths associated with drunk driving on Michigan roads fell slightly from 2009 to 2010 (down 5.6%) but the surge in deaths related to drugged driving was enough to erase all alcohol-related progress and cause the overall DUI fatality rate to rise nearly 2%. In fact, drug-related fatalities on the road were up 29% from ‘09 to ‘10, causing significant alarm for law enforcement officials and advocacy groups that have traditionally focused their attention on prevention of drunk driving.

Michigan officials admit some of the reported increase in drugged driving is the result of greater detection of the crime at DUI checkpoints and crash scenes. As drug-related traffic crime has risen in recent years, officers have been trained to better identify potential offenders and are equipped with the necessary tools to determine whether a driver is under the influence of drugs as opposed to alcohol.

Still, better detection alone cannot account for the rapid increase in drugged driving, and Michigan officials are mobilizing to combat the trend in homes and schools before real consequences are realized on the road. Education is key, according to government leaders in the Wolverine State. While tremendous resources have been dedicated to anti-drunk-driving campaigns in schools, greater emphasis is now being paid to the dangers of driving under the influence of any judgment-impairing chemical, whether alcohol or narcotic.

Also included in the 2010 Michigan Drunk Driving Audit are demographic statistics about those arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. More than 41,800 such arrests were made in Michigan during 2010, with male drivers three times as likely as females to be charged with a DUI. During the same year, 41,887 men and women were convicted of DUI-related crimes, though some of those convictions were from arrests made in prior years.

The Drunk Driving Audit is an annual report issued by the Michigan State Police (MSP) Criminal Justice Information Center and is a collaborative effort between the MSP and the Michigan Department of State.

Source: “2010 Drunk Driving Audit Shows Decrease in Alcohol Involvement, Increase in Drug-Related Crashes, Deaths and Injuries”