Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement Nov. 9-29

To remind everyone about the importance of buckling up, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is launching a Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign that runs November 9 through November 29.

“Three out of four people ejected from a vehicle in a crash will die,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to reduce injuries and save lives. It’s the easiest decision you will ever make. Buckle up every trip, every time.”  

Officers from police departments, sheriff’s offices and the Michigan State Police will be conducting seat belt enforcement across the state during the three-week period. The campaign includes the Thanksgiving holiday. During the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, there were seven fatalities on Michigan roads. Four of the seven deaths involved drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts.

In Michigan, the seat belt usage rate stands at 94.4 percent. The national seat belt use rate in 2019 was 90.7 percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved 14,955 lives nationwide in 2017. Seat belts are the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. According to the NHTSA, buckling up can reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash by 45 percent. 

Michigan law requires drivers, front-seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. The fine and associated costs for not wearing a seat belt is $65.  Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4’9” tall, and children under 4 years old must be in the back seat.

The OHSP coordinates the Click It or Ticket effort, which is supported by federal traffic safety funds. 

Michigan traffic fatalities decreased three percent in 2017

Although Michigan traffic deaths remained above 1,000 for the second consecutive year there was a 3 percent decrease in fatalities during 2017, according to just-released data from the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.  The 1,028 fatalities in 2017 marked a small decline from 1,064 fatalities in 2016.  

• Injuries also decreased slightly but crashes and serious injuries were up:
• Injuries: 79,724 in 2016 to 78,394 in 2017, down 2 percent.
• Crashes: 312,172 in 2016 to 314,921 in 2017, up 1 percent.
• Serious injuries: 5,634 in 2016 to 6,084 in 2017, up 8 percent.

The percentage of alcohol-involved fatalities increased 32 percent from 271 in 2016 to 359 in 2017.  This rise reflects, in part, better reporting methods and data collection.   

 “Attention must be paid when we see nearly half of all traffic crash fatalities involving alcohol or drugs,” said Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).  “This noteworthy change is causing great concern, and effective safety strategies to address this issue require a comprehensive approach in coordination with our local, county, state and federal partners.  The OHSP will continue to allocate resources in the form of federal funding to improve our capabilities in the detection, apprehension, prosecution and treatment of impaired drivers. 

  “Clearly, our most basic safety countermeasures, focused on increasing seat belt use and reducing impaired driving, remain just as important now as they have ever been,” he added.

In other areas:

• Bicyclist fatalities decreased from 38 in 2016 to 21 in 2017, down 45 percent.
• Teen fatalities decreased from 94 in 2016 to 64 in 2017, down 32 percent
• Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities decreased from 120 in 2016 to 95 in 2017, down 21 percent.
• Motorcyclist fatalities decreased from 141 in 2016 to 137 in 2017, down 3 percent.
• Pedestrian fatalities decreased from 165 in 2016 to 158 in 2017, down 4 percent.
• Deer-involved fatalities increased from 14 in 2016 to 17 in 2017, up 21 percent. 

More detailed 2017 crash information will be posted to Michigantrafficcrashfacts.org in the coming months.  Statewide crash information can be found at Michigan.gov/crash.

Alicia Sledge (left) and Julie Roth of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning present a national traffic safety award to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. Photo courtesy of OHSP.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office Secondary Road Patrol (SRP)/Traffic Safety Unit has received the Salute to Law Enforcement Officers Award from the National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders (NAWHSL).

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) presented the honor during a ceremony on Thursday, May 18, on behalf of the association.

“The award recognizes Kent County’s continued strong commitment and dedication to traffic safety,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director.

The Secondary Road Patrol and Traffic Accident Prevention Program provides county sheriff’s offices with funding to patrol county and local roads outside the corporate limits of cities and villages.  The state grant program, managed by the OHSP, has the legislated primary responsibility of traffic enforcement and traffic crash prevention on secondary roads.

Deputies funded under the SRP program are responsible for traffic enforcement, traffic crash prevention and investigation, criminal law enforcement and emergency assistance to stranded motorists on secondary roadways.

In 2016, the Kent County SRP Traffic Safety Unit investigated 35 fatal traffic crashes, including alcohol- related crashes.

“Traffic safety remains a top priority in Kent County.  We are always seeking innovative ways to address this ongoing problem,” said Kent County Sheriff Lawrence A. Stelma.

The department has focused on drugged driving enforcement through its three Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputies.  A DRE is a law enforcement officer trained to identify people whose driving is impaired by drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol.

Stelma said deputies in the Traffic Safety Unit also have the equipment and training to precisely measure and map crash scenes.  This data is a vital investigative tool for criminal prosecution.

The unit has also established an online school bus red light violating reporting system that is used by bus drivers.  Reports are investigated by a deputy with proper enforcement action taken.

“We are grateful to receive this national honor and appreciate the ongoing support of the OHSP,” said Stelma.

The NAWHSL disseminates information and educational programs to promote safe traffic behavior and advocates for effective public programs to reduce motor vehicle related crashes, crash severity and the resulting deaths and injuries.

Alicia Sledge (left) and Julie Roth of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning present a national traffic safety award to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. Photo courtesy of OHSP.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office Secondary Road Patrol (SRP)/Traffic Safety Unit has received the Salute to Law Enforcement Officers Award from the National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders (NAWHSL).

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) presented the honor during a ceremony on Thursday, May 18, on behalf of the association.

“The award recognizes Kent County’s continued strong commitment and dedication to traffic safety,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director.
The Secondary Road Patrol and Traffic Accident Prevention Program provides county sheriff’s offices with funding to patrol county and local roads outside the corporate limits of cities and villages.  The state grant program, managed by the OHSP, has the legislated primary responsibility of traffic enforcement and traffic crash prevention on secondary roads.

Deputies funded under the SRP program are responsible for traffic enforcement, traffic crash prevention and investigation, criminal law enforcement and emergency assistance to stranded motorists on secondary roadways.

In 2016, the Kent County SRP Traffic Safety Unit investigated 35 fatal traffic crashes, including alcohol- related crashes.

“Traffic safety remains a top priority in Kent County.  We are always seeking innovative ways to address this ongoing problem,” said Kent County Sheriff Lawrence A. Stelma.

The department has focused on drugged driving enforcement through its three Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputies.  A DRE is a law enforcement officer trained to identify people whose driving is impaired by drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol.

Stelma said deputies in the Traffic Safety Unit also have the equipment and training to precisely measure and map crash scenes.  This data is a vital investigative tool for criminal prosecution.

The unit has also established an online school bus red light violating reporting system that is used by bus drivers.  Reports are investigated by a deputy with proper enforcement action taken.

“We are grateful to receive this national honor and appreciate the ongoing support of the OHSP,” said Stelma.

The NAWHSL disseminates information and educational programs to promote safe traffic behavior and advocates for effective public programs to reduce motor vehicle related crashes, crash severity and the resulting deaths and injuries.

Child passenger safety week

When first responders arrive at the scene of a traffic crash, it’s important to have quick, accurate information about the vehicle occupants. That’s why traffic safety officials today unveiled an updated kid’s identification sticker for car seats.

For more than 20 years, the Office of Highway Safety Planning’s (OHSP) kid’s identification sticker has been an easy and effective way to provide crucial details during an emergency. When affixed to a car seat, it gives immediate access to vital facts about a child passenger if injured caregivers or an injured child are unable to do so.

The updated sticker includes spaces for the child’s name, as well as larger fields for medical information and allergies. There is additional room to list parents or guardians, the child’s physician and the name and phone number of an emergency contact. The new sticker comes with a flap that offers privacy and protects the information from fading.

“This sticker is a great item in any child safety advocate’s toolkit,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Michigan has a network of more than 1,000 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians who regularly meet with parents and caregivers to educate them about proper car seat use.”

Those technicians and safety advocates are observing CPS Week from Sept.18-24.  This national initiative raises awareness about car seat use and encourages caregivers to have their children’s car seats inspected by a certified CPS technician.  The event culminates on National Seat Check Saturday.

“During Child Passenger Safety Week, take time to get your car seat checked out,” said Jennifer Hoekstra, injury prevention specialist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. “Learning how to properly install your car seat can be a life-saving lesson for you and your entire family.”

Children must be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children younger than age 4 must ride in a car seat in the back seat if a vehicle has a back seat. Babies and toddlers should ride rear-facing until at least age 2 or the upper weight or height limit of the seat.

To order the kid’s identification stickers, go to Michigan.gov/carseats. The website also includes links to child safety seat inspection stations, a list of CPS Week events and a series of educational videos on using car seats properly.

Officers from police departments, sheriff’s offices and Michigan State Police posts across the state arrested 351 drunk drivers and issued 2,630 seat belt and child restraint citations during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown. The stepped up drunk driving and seat belt enforcement began Aug. 21 and ran through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

“To enhance safety and reduce traffic fatalities, Michigan law enforcement officers have zero tolerance for motorists who fail to wear a seat belt, and they are experts at finding drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “Motorists were warned to drive sober or get pulled over, and more than 300 drivers failed to heed that advice.”

Preliminary reports also indicate officers made 152 drug arrests and 41 felony arrests during the nearly three-week effort. Of the 351 arrests for drunk driving, 57 persons had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .17 percent or higher.

Law enforcement officers in Branch County stopped a vehicle for motorist seat belt violation and found the passengers had open intoxicants as well as outstanding arrest warrants.  A driver stopped for not wearing a seat belt in Wayne County had a BAC of .21. A motorcyclist arrested for operating while intoxicated in Clinton County had 11 prior drunk driving arrests.

According to preliminary reports, there were 13 traffic fatalities during the 2015 Labor Day holiday period. Three of those deaths involved alcohol and five vehicle occupants were not buckled up. During the 2014 Labor Day holiday period, five of the six fatal traffic crashes involved alcohol.

In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired.  Motorists face enhanced penalties if arrested for a first-time drunk driving offense with a .17 BAC or higher.

Michigan law requires drivers, front seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4’9” tall, and children under 4 years old must be in the back seat.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign was supported with federal traffic safety funds coordinated by OHSP.  Grant-funded impaired driving and seat belt enforcement are part of Michigan’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013.

If you drive aggressively around trucks on US131, you may be stopped and ticketed under a new education and enforcement program designed to reduce crashes.

From the Michigan State Police

Drivers urged to leave more space for trucks

A new enforcement and education initiative in West Michigan seeks to reduce crashes, fatalities and serious injuries involving cars and trucks by reminding motorists to leave more space for trucks.

The Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program combines outreach, education and evaluation with enforcement activities for safe driving around trucks.  The Grand Rapids area was selected after a review of crash data by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute showed high crash rates associated with aggressive behavior.

“Crashes between cars and trucks can be catastrophic, both in terms of the loss of life and loss of goods and services, no matter which vehicle driver is at fault,” said Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). “The method used in the TACT program of focusing enforcement and education efforts on car and truck drivers has been successful in other states, and we look forward to similar results in West Michigan.”

In 2012, truck-involved fatalities in Michigan increased 10 percent, from 73 in 2011 to 80.  There were 9,388 truck-involved crashes in 2012, with 986 of those crashes occurring in Kent and Ottawa counties.

Officers from six West Michigan law enforcement agencies will conduct TACT program enforcement on U.S. 131 and I-196 in Kent and Ottawa counties, Oct. 7 through Oct. 18.  Officers will be on the lookout for violations by both passenger vehicle and truckdrivers such as improper lane use, careless and reckless driving, speeding, following too close and failure to yield the right of way.

The participating agencies are the Michigan State Police, Kent and Ottawa county sheriff offices and Grand Rapids, Walker and Wyoming police departments.  Additional TACT program enforcement will take place Nov. 4-15 and Dec. 2-13.

To help increase awareness and encourage compliance, TACT advertising will be seen on billboards and heard on West Michigan radio stations throughout October.  The messages encourage drivers to leave more space for trucks by allowing one car length forevery 10 miles of speed and not tailgating.

OHSP is supporting the TACT enforcement and public information effort with funds from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Michigan Truck Safety Commission dedicated for this purpose.  This is the first time this type of programhas been conducted in Michigan.  The FMCSA has supported similar TACT programs in several other states including Kentucky, North Carolina and Washington.

This project is part of Michigan’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in February.

Motorists are being warned not to let their summertime fun end with a drunk driving arrest as law enforcement agencies in 13 West Michigan counties will be cracking down on drunk drivers through additional patrols Aug. 19-Sept. 5.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is coordinating the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. crackdown by administering federal traffic safety funds to more than 200 agencies in 35 counties. Grant-funded counties in West Michigan are Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa and Van Buren.

“Extra officers will be out on the road, looking for drunk drivers,” said OHSP Director Michael L. Prince. “Motorists need to be aware that it’s simply not worth the risk. If they are caught over the limit, they will find themselves under arrest.”

During last year’s Labor Day drunk driving crackdown, more than 500 motorists were arrested for drunk driving and other alcohol-related offenses.

About 38 percent of all traffic fatalities in Michigan involve alcohol and/or drugs, and last year, 357 people died as a result of alcohol and/or drug-involved traffic crashes. Over the 2010 Labor Day holiday weekend, 21 people died in Michigan crashes. Ten of those fatalities involved alcohol, including five people who were killed in one crash, according to the Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center.

Motorists face severe penalties for driving drunk. Those convicted of a first drunk driving offense face up to 93 days in jail, up to a $500 fine, up to 360 hours of community service, six points on a driver’s license and up to 180 days’ license suspension.

Anyone arrested for a first-time drunk driving offense with a .17 blood alcohol content or above faces increased penalties including the possible installation of an ignition interlock device preventing the car from starting if the driver has been drinking.

In addition, convicted drunk drivers will be subject to a $1,000 fee for two consecutive years, for a total of $2,000 in additional costs.  Anyone who refuses a breath test the first time is given an automatic one-year driver’s license suspension.