OHSP Receives Grant to Fund ARIDE Training for Officers

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) was awarded a grant of nearly $20,000 from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. With this, the Michigan State Police are looking to have more officers trained to recognize drug impaired driving. The grant will fund five additional Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) trainings for officers which will help them better observe drug impairment or a combination of drug and alcohol impairment in drivers.
In 2018 there were 9,628 drunk drivers involved in traffic crashes in Michigan. 12 percent or 1,201 were suspected of using drugs. Michael L. Prince, Director of the OHSP said, “Drugged driving is deadly and poses a threat to not only the driver, but also their passengers and other motorists.” Prince said, “This grant will allow [them] to train additional officers to recognize the signs of impaired driving before there are tragic consequences.” The two-day ARIDE sessions for officers begins this week. Other sessions are planned across the state until the end of 2019.