MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin Legislative Bureau report shows that yearly convictions for drunken driving and other related offenses dropped by nearly 18,000 between 2004 and 2018.
The study also shows that alcohol-related fatal crashes have also declined in Wisconsin in the past 12 years, which mirrors a trend seen nationwide.
Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates alcohol-related crashes cost Wisconsinites more than $400 million in 2015.
The report says certain policy changes such as increased sanctions contributed to the decline in drunken driving-related crashes, although “there is no single or predominant cause.”