The seasons may be changing, but some Michigan motorists are still dealing with the consequences of their summer drunk driving arrest during the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. Statewide enforcement crackdown.
Between Aug. 19 and Sept. 5, officers conducted more than 11,300 traffic stops resulting in 230 arrests for drunk driving. This includes 34 drivers arrested for a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .17 or higher under Michigan’s High BAC Law.
“Over the Limit. Under Arrest. is designed to keep our roads safer by deterring people from driving drunk,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “We use a high visibility advertising campaign and increased police presence to get the word out, because the consequences of a drunk driving arrest last long after the summer travel season.”
This year’s crackdown also included seat belt enforcement zones and patrols during which officers issued 2,530 seat belt and child restraint citations.
In addition, officers made 74 drug-related arrests and issued 835 speeding citations, as well as 2,225 citations for other traffic violations.
The crackdown was coordinated by OHSP and paid for with federal traffic safety dollars. More than 200 state, county and local law enforcement agencies in 35 counties participated in the extra patrols.
Preliminary results from the Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center show there were 11 fatalities in 10 traffic crashes over the Labor Day holiday weekend in Michigan. Four of the crashes involved alcohol and a seat belt was not used in five of the seven fatalities in passenger vehicles. This represents an over 50 percent decrease in fatalities from the 2010 Labor Day holiday weekend when 21 people died in Michigan crashes; ten of those fatalities involved alcohol.