Not too long ago, driverless cars sounded like something out of a space age sci-fi movie. But not any more. If you have ever used Google Maps ‘street view’, then you have looked at pictures taken by a camera that was mounted onto a driverless car. In fact, Uber has even begun a pilot program, where driverless cars are being used to transport Uber riders around in Pittsburg. But what does this have to do with drunk driving, you wonder? As it turns out – a lot!
We’ve all heard the urban legends about people who were accused of being drunk, or worse – high, after consuming nothing more than innocuous food items or medicines. Like the woman who lost her job because she happened to eat a poppy seed muffin for breakfast on the day her boss made her submit to a random drug test, and it ended up with positive result for opioids in her system.
Drunk driving arrests often end up being more than just DUI charges in Michigan. Police officers never know what they will find in the car when they approach it. They often pull people over prepared for this particular traffic stop to be much more than a simple intoxicated driver incident. This was certainly the case for the police officer that pulled Nathaniel Jermaine Ballard over for drunk driving earlier this year.
When comparing Michigan to other states in the USA, we get a lot of favorable results (unless you’re talking about child welfare, the state of the roads or auto insurance, that is!) From a tourism, beer, food, coastline, and wine standpoint, Michigan has so much to boast about. Just ask Thrillist. They ranked us the top of the list in their best vs. worst states comparison. But when it comes to the punishment of drunk drivers, how does Michigan compare to other states?
A recent letter from the Forensic Science Department of the Michigan State Police revealed that there are apparently thousands of drunk driving cases whose results are tainted. The reason for the problem according to the letter, is that the samples were processed in part using a machine that was incorrectly calibrated.
As is usual in Michigan, several times throughout the calendar year, law enforcement around our state are embarking on another campaign to reduce drunk driving in Michigan. This time, the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began last week on August 16th and will continue through the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
While it can be very easy for the world to label drunk drivers as nothing more than selfish or irresponsible people who should be locked up in order to keep society safe, that is only one part of the picture. The truth is much more complex. The average drunk driver with multiple DUIs on their record is most often someone dealing with substance abuse issues. And in those cases, what they need is help. Incarceration is one way in which those substance abusers are coerced into participating in the rehabilitation they so desperately need. That’s what sobriety court offers.
At about 8:30 pm on Monday, August 8th, Michigan State Police officers from the White Pigeon Post in St. Joseph County, were called to the scene of an accident on M60. It resulted in a drunk driving arrest. Officers say that the driver who caused the collision was intoxicated and made a bad choice about how to deal with a missed turn.
Having just discussed with you the proposed roadside drug testing pilot program that the Michigan State Police have been tasked with running here in Michigan, it is important to look at this subject from all angles, including the rather dubious history it has in other parts of the country.
Earlier this year, a bill to bring roadside drug testing to Michigan passed both the House and the Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Snyder. But before police can begin implementing any new drug tests into their roadside sobriety testing, a experimental program must be run to determine whether or not the testing will be effective and accurate. That job has been given to the Michigan State Police.
