Muskego Police, State Team Up to Combat Drunk/Drugged Drivers

Along with the Wisconsin State Patrol, Muskego Police wanted to remind motorists that December marks the eighth anniversary of the enactment of a Wisconsin law prohibiting drivers from having any controlled substances in their system, such as marijuana or cocaine. The law also makes the legal penalties for drugged driving the same as drunken driving.

For this reason, December has been named National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention month.

Law enforcement agencies are continuing their efforts to combat drugged driving, training officers in procedures that identify drivers impaired by alcohol. Officers now use many of those same procedures to identify drugged drivers, according to MPD.

"Drivers who exhibit behavior or symptoms indicative of drug use must submit to a blood test that determines the presence of drugs. Refusing to submit to the blood test means an automatic revocation of the driver’s license," the release from the state patrol explained.

"In addition to illegal drugs, the overuse or abuse of medications, especially when combined with alcohol, will often cause impaired driving. State law prohibits drivers from being under the influence of any drug to a degree which renders him or her incapable of safely driving."

Recent incidents in Muskego underlines the seriousness of the problem, as drivers under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or a combination of the two are "deadly threats to everyone on the road." 

"That’s why officers never take a break—even over the holiday season—from arresting those who choose to get behind the wheel while impaired," the State Patrol said.