The 2007 Michigan Drunk Driving Audit reveals declines across the state in alcohol and/or drug related crashes and deaths, injury crashes and impaired driving arrests.

Fatalities resulting from alcohol and/or drug related traffic crashes dropped 13 percent from 440 in 2006 to 382 in 2007 and alcohol and/or drug related traffic fatalities were at their lowest in over 10 years. In fact, all fatal crashes involving a controlled substance were down in 2007.

The number of injury crashes involving alcohol and/or drugs also declined last year, dropping 4.5 percent from 5,455 in 2006 to 5,207 in 2007.

The Drunk Driving Audit, an annual report issued by the Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center, includes arrest activity by law enforcement agency for each county as well as crash, injury and fatality information by county. It is a collaborative effort among the Michigan State Police, the Michigan Department of State and the Michigan Department of Transportation.

"Despite continued declines in alcohol and drug related crashes, the fact remains that crashes involving drunk and drugged driving make up 35 percent of all fatal crashes," said Colonel Peter C. Munoz, director of the Michigan State Police. "For this reason, strict enforcement of Michigan's impaired driving laws will continue to be a focus for law enforcement."

In 2007, 49,867 alcohol and drug related driving arrests were made, a drop of nearly 3,500 from 2006. Of those arrests, 47,267 resulted in convictions of operating while intoxicated (OWI) or impaired driving. Although advertising campaigns for drunk driving enforcement have targeted young men, they continue to be the group most likely to drive drunk. Over three quarters of all those arrested for drunk driving were men.

The 2007 Drunk Driving Audit is available online. To view the entire report, visit www.michigan.gov/msp, then click on Publications, Forms & Statistics. Next, click Statistical Information, then Traffic Crash Statistics, then click Michigan Drunk Driving Audit.

Additional Contact information:
CJIC, Incident Section (517) 322-1150 for arrest information Kelly Chesney (517) 373-2520 for conviction information