When you choose to use drugs or consume alcohol and drive, you place not only your life in danger, but also the lives of anyone in the car with you and on the road.  Thus, there are strong laws in Michigan that punish drivers who abuse any type of drug substance and decide to drive.  Keep in mind that alcohol is also a drug although many people differentiate the two.

Due to the fact that a few hundred people die each year in Michigan from crashes that are caused by alcohol impairment it is illegal to drive under certain circumstances.  If you have an alcohol content of .08 or more in your blood stream it is illegal to drive a car, this is the equivalent of drinking one beer and jumping immediately behind the wheel.

It is also illegal to drive if you feel impaired by illegal drugs such as marijuana, certain prescription medications, or alcohol even if you are under the limit.  Additionally, it is illegal to drive in the presence of any Schedule 1 drug which includes a number of narcotics and cocaine.

The laws are much stiffer for teens who are under the age of 21 given that it is has been proven that a male is 18 times more likely to crash and a female is 54 times more likely to crash if they have consumed alcohol.  For this reason it is illegal for persons under the age of 21 to have a bodily alcohol content of .02 or greater.  It is also illegal to consume, possess, or buy alcoholic beverages under the age of 21.  The only way that alcohol may be transported in your car is if a passenger in the car is over the age of 21.

Those that are convicted of drug related driving offenses face a mandatory six month license suspension and anywhere from five days to one year of jail time in addition to 30-90 days of community service.  After three offenses a felony is given or if a death or serious injury is involved in the conviction for drunk driving.

1 Comment

1.   Bertie   |  Thursday, 14 April 2011 at 10:01 am

   Great thnnikig! That really breaks the mold!