The State of Michigan recently released its 2009 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. The statistics are compiled by Office of Highway Safety Planning, in conjunction with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). These reports always offer some fascinating information.
One of the studies analyzed the amount of drunk driving deaths by county in 2009. Per capita, the county with the most alcohol related car accident deaths is Mackinac County. A slew of other northern Michigan counties are close behind. However, not all northern counties are atop the list. In fact, a number of northern counties are also found at the bottom of the list, including Oscoda, Osceola, and Otsego counties. These latter counties had the fewest number of alcohol related fatalities in the entire state in 2009.
Looking at the statistics, it doesn’t appear there is any rhyme or reason as to why more drunk driving deaths occur in one county versus another. Driving longer distances between the bar and home increases the chances for terrible things to happen, but rural, less populated counties are found both at the top of the list and at the bottom.
One thing is for certain. All drunk driving deaths are horrible and tragic. If you are going to drink, make sure you have a designated driver. If that isn’t possible, call a cab or a transportation company. Drunk driving accidents are easily preventable.
The entire list can be found here. Find where your county stands.
