Drug related and distracted driver crashes on the rise in UP

Mallory Anderson

GLADSTONE, Mich. (WLUC) - Since 2006, traffic crashes in the Upper Peninsula have decreased substantially. However, despite this decrease, certain causes of accidents continue to rise.

Weather, driving under the influence, and fatigue are just a few of the conditions of a drive than can lead to a crash. Another one of these conditions, distracted driving, continues to rise as technology progresses.

"In the past ten years we didn't have cell phones as much,” said Sgt. John Bruno, a Traffic Crash Reconstructionist with the Michigan State Police Gladstone Post. “Now we have more cell phone use, and the smartphones have come out where other than just talking on the phone, you can now do a lot more things on the phone."

While distracted driving has been a hot topic in the media over the past few years due to texting and driving, it's not necessarily a new phenomenon. Distracted driving has existed for years, whether it be changing the channel on the radio, talking with a passenger, or even glancing out the window down the street.

In fact, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts (MTCF), in 2014 more crashes were caused by distracted driving in general than cell phone use. Cell phones only accounted for 8 total crashes in the U.P., while distracted driving caused 63. However, many of these statistic rely on the honesty of the drivers involved. In most situations, a search warrant for a cell phone will only be issued in cases of serious or fatal crashes.

Unfortunately distracted driving isn't the only dangerous crash factor on the rise. While in the past most impaired crashes were due to alcohol, drugs are now becoming a larger factor. From 2005 to 2015, drug related crashes jumped from 19 to 67.

"People in the Upper Peninsula, people across the state, people across the country, are all seeing an increase in the abuse of prescription drugs, and that increase is also going to cause an increase in traffic crashes," said Det. Lt. Tim Sholander, of the Michigan State Police and Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET).

Troopers say even if you aren't abusing a prescription, being under the influence of that prescribed drug can still lead to accidents and consequences with the law. Law enforcement says often people think they can drive after taking their prescription, even though the packaging distinctly states not to operate heavy machinery, like a vehicle.

Drug Recognition Experts like Trooper Mark Erickson, are specially trained to identify drivers under the influence.

"The program is starting to accelerate as a Drug Recognition Expert,” said Trooper Mark Erickson, a Drug Recognition Expert. “They're trying to train several more within the state, because of the medical marijuana laws that are changing so much right now, and because of the drug problems we are having throughout the entire state and the entire country as a whole."

Though the statistics are up, law enforcement is working hard to combat this recent rise in drug related crashes. More Troopers and officers are being trained to identify people under the influence as DREs, with hopes to have a DRE Trooper at every State Police Post in the future.