Alcohol and drug-related crashes are on the rise in Michigan, but impaired driving arrests are down.
The state says deadly crashes involving alcohol and drugs have seen a 40% boost since 2014, while arrests are down 8%.
Katie Bower is director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. She says extra patrols are needed, and they’re proven to keep those drivers off the roads.
“Their whole goal is to pull them over, make sure that it’s not an impairment issue, and make sure that people are driving safely on the roadway,” Bower said. “We know that having more law enforcement on our roadways is one of the biggest deterrents to people driving impaired when they know that law enforcement’s on the road.”
Bower says the state does provide funding for police departments to roll out those extra patrols.
