Wisconsin State Patrol unveils campaign to crack down on drunk driving
According to Wisconsin State Patrol Master Trooper Michael Larsen, there were approximately 6,300 alcohol-related crashes in the state of Wisconsin in 2021.
SPARTA (WKBT) — From now until Labor Day, the Wisconsin State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to prevent tragedies caused by impaired driving.
According to Wisconsin State Patrol Master Trooper Michael Larsen, there were approximately 6,300 alcohol-related crashes in the state of Wisconsin in 2021.
“The number is astronomical in my opinion, that number is way too high,” Larsen said.
Alcohol-related crashes killed 166 people statewide in 2021, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The department also says that drug-related crashes killed 74 people statewide last year. Larsen said he’s seeing an uptick in marijuana and overall substance use while people are behind the wheel.
“Wisconsin has a law that you can’t have any detectable controlled substance in your system at all while you’re driving,” he said.
Larsen added that people should make ride-sharing arrangements before they go out to ensure they’re connected with a sober individual before the drive home.
“If you take that chance and drive drunk, all of a sudden you result in a crash where you get seriously injured or killed or you seriously injure or kill somebody else,” he said.
On Thursday, Larsen recalled a moment from about 10 years ago when he arrested a female college student who was driving 112 mph while severely intoxicated.
He said the experience of her being arrested changed her life for the good.
“I got a letter from her mom saying that this young girl had completely changed her life around based on that event,” he said.
The law enforcement campaign known as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” began on August 17 and lasts through Labor Day.
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