Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

DEARBORN - AAA-The Auto Club Group hosted the first ever Impaired Driving Summit at their Dearborn headquarters today. Leading regional and national experts were on hand to discuss the issues and challenges associated with impaired driving and the legalization of marijuana in Michigan.

"Advancing the discussion of traffic safety is imperative based on the implications of adult-use cannabis and other substances in our state," said Howard Hughey, Michigan Public Affairs Director, AAA-The Auto Club Group. "This is a timely summit considering the sharp increase of traffic incidents – many attributed to impaired-driving – over the past few years. We are very encouraged by the enthusiasm of those who participated and look forward to doing more in the way of public education on this topic."

In 2021:

There were 275 drug-involved traffic fatalities in Michigan, which accounts for 24.3% of the total of number of people killed (1,131).

There were 357 alcohol-involved traffic fatalities in Michigan, which accounts for 31.6 percent of the total number of people killed (1,131).

Of the 1,068 fatal crashes that occurred in Michigan, 336 (31.5%) were alcohol-involved, with at least one drinking operator, bicyclist, or pedestrian.

Attendees participated in sessions on topics such as: The Use of Oral Fluid to Detect Drugged Drivers and Equity Concerns, Recognizing Drug Impaired Drivers, Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driving: What Does the Crash Data Say? and Social Media and Drug Impaired Driving: How to Up Your Roadway Safety Communication.

"AAA has been an advocate for the motoring public for over 100 years, so facilitating this conversation was the next step in the important traffic safety work that we continue to do," added Hughey. "We plan to continue this conversation with stakeholders into the future."

AAA in Michigan celebrated its 100th Anniversary - A Century of Service in 2016 and has over 1.5 million members across the state. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG). Connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 13 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 62 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA's mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.