Creating a SOBER Driving Culture

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Creating a SOBER Driving Culture
Presented by Jim Lynch, Director Montana
Department of Transportation Governors
Representative for Highway Traffic Safety May 7,
2009
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TOPICS

• Where were at now
• Partnerships MDT-supported programs
• Training education
• Tribal initiatives
• Enforcement
• Successes and upcoming programs

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--- Where Were At Now
Traffic-Related Fatality Comparison
Jan 1st April 27th

• 2007 data is from FARS and includes police
  accident report, investigation report, toxicology
  test results and death certificates
• 2008 2009 data is taken from MHP information
  initially collected at the scene of the crash and
  is considered preliminary until FARS data becomes
  available

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--- Where Were At Now
2008 alcohol-related fatalities 105 (prelimin
ary data)
2007 Alcohol-related fatalities 124
Alcohol-related fatalities denotes BAC greater
than 0.01
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--- Where Were At Now
(514)
Crash Rate
(431)
104
(Drivers in Alcohol Crashes)
(674)
79
(479)
55
(486)
41
32
(182)
(68)
(25)
15
9
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ILLEGAL DRINKING AGE
Montana data
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DUI More Than Just Alcohol
--- Where Were At Now
Besides alcohol, the most commonly found drugs in
drivers were

• Marijuana (54)
• Methamphetamine (15)
• The remainder tranquilizers, sleeping pills,
  muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers, cough
  medicine, antidepressants, antihistamines

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Success Through Partnerships
--- Partnerships
Montanas Sovereign Tribal Nations
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More Partnerships -- CHSP
--- Partnerships
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More Partnerships -- ICC
--- Partnerships
Interagency Coordinating Council
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MDT is on the frontline of the fight against
alcohol and driving in Montana There are many
MDT efforts underway to change the culture around
alcohol driving
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--- Training Education
Training Education
? DRE Training
? Mariahs Challenge
? SFST
? Lets Control It
? Alive at 25
? DUI Courts
? SOAR
? DUI Task Forces
? Judge/Prosecutor Training
? ACT
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--- Training Education
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--- Training Education
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--- Training Education
DUI Courts

• Kalispell Municipal Court
• 7th Judicial District (5 county area around
  Sidney)
• Missoula County Justice Court II
• Butte Silver Bow County Court
• Fort Peck Tribal Court

2009 Training
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--- Training Education
18 Counties with approved DUI plans
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--- Training Education
21 Counties with approved DUI plans
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--- Training Education
24 Counties with approved DUI plans
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--- Training Education
28 Counties with approved DUI plans
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--- Training Education
35 Counties with approved DUI plans
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--- Training Education
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--- Training Education
Education takes many forms.
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--- Training Education

• Targets drivers in the 15 to 24 year age group
• Emphasizes safe driving choices
• Taught by Montana Highway Patrol instructors

MDTs relationship with the Montana Highway
Patrol has expanded greatly over the past few
years, from just a STEP contract to purchasing
equipment to adding patrol personnel.
MDT supports the MHP with approximately 23
million/yr (funds the payroll).
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--- Tribal Initiatives
SOAR Safe On All Roads
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--- Tribal Initiatives
Tribal traffic safety initiatives

• Tribal Safety Plans
• Racial Profiling Prevention
• STEP

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--- Tribal Initiatives
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--- Tribal Initiatives
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--- Tribal Initiatives
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--- Enforcement
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--- Enforcement
Roving Patrol Program
Mission Enforce for DUI and Speed Deployment
Concentrate on High Crash Corridors or High
Incidence of DUI
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Law Enforcement Equipment
--- Enforcement
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Analyzing the evidence
--- Enforcement
Intoxilyzers for entire state -- 730,000
Gas Chromatograph -- 60,000
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--- Enforcement
Getting Drunk Drivers off the Road
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--- Enforcement
Motorcycle Patrol Program
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Impaired Commercial Drivers
--- Enforcement
Operation Safe Driver
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--- Enforcement
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Drug-impaired drivers
--- Enforcement
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Drug-impaired drivers
--- Enforcement
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--- Enforcement
Criminal Justice
2009 DUI Courts Implementation

• Kalispell Municipal Court -- 91,000 25
  participants
• Billings Adult Municipal Court -- 171,000 50
  participants

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Traffic Records
--- Other Initiatives

• Networking the various sources of data to see the
  whole picture

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? Alcohol Screening? Brief Intervention?
Referral to Treatment
--- Other Initiatives
Alcohol-Related Initiatives
MDT contracts with DPHHS to implement and track
SBIRT Protocols
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Statewide Media Campaign
--- Media Initiatives

• Alcohol No Seat Belt Deadly Result

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--- Seat Belt Initiatives
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Room to Live
--- Seat Belt Initiatives
Intact safety cage
I took this photo of my 2005 Ford F-350 after an
ill-fated trip down Marysville road in 2006.   My
13 year old son was in the back seat and I was
driving.  Both of us were buckled up.  We rolled
three times and flipped end-over-end once.  No
one was hurt, thank God, except for minor cuts
and bruises.    Sam R. Smith
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--- Seat Belt Initiatives
Respect The Cage
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--- Seat Belt Initiatives
Respect The Cage
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--- Seat Belt Initiatives
Respect The Cage
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Legislative Successes in 2009
--- Legislative Initiatives
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--- Legislative Initiatives
Legislative Successes in 2009
Senate Joint Resolution 39
Study DUI laws and enforcement
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--- Legislative Initiatives
Additional Legislative Victories
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THERES NO GOAL LINE IN HIGHWAY SAFETY!!
QUESTIONS?