MARQUETTE -- According to a new report, drunk driving in Michigan is in decline, but police are facing a new threat to safety on the roads...drugged driving.
MLive.com is reporting that from 2006 to 2011, drugged driving fatalities increased 30 percent. This came as incidents of drunk driving decreased by 25 percent.
Police have been combating this trend with education, training and information. They say the increase is largely due to prescription drug misuse.
"We don't see a lot of people under the influence of heavy narcotics, such as cocaine or heroine, operating vehicles," said Capt. Blake Rieboldt of the Marquette City Police Department. "It's the people that have a misconception that prescription drugs are okay to operate vehicles under. If they inhibit your ability to operate a vehicle, you're going to fall under that catagory as far as driving under the influence of drugs."
The report also states in just the past year, that drugged driving has decreased by nearly 17 percent.
Police hope that with increased awareness, that trend can continue.
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