SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) -- Ahead of the biggest bar night of the year, police offered a simple message: If you drink and drive, you will be caught.
Law enforcement officers across Metro Detroit will be out on the night sometimes call "Drinksgiving" or "Blackout Wednesday" and throughout the holiday weekend, looking for impaired drivers.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said he'll have extra patrols on the roads.
"Make smart choices," Bouchard urged Metro Detroiers in an interview with WWJ's Luke Sloan. "So, if you're drinking and partying, then make a smart choice: Have someone else drive, get an Uber, get a cab, whatever the case may be. Don't get behind the wheel."
"We're going to have extra patrols out, making sure the roads are as safe as we can make them, so that people have a holiday to remember, not a tragedy."
Bouchard urged everyone out on the roads, even those who do not drink, to use extra caution Wednesday night and throughout the holiday weekend, in case someone around them makes the potentially deadly choice to drink and drive.
If someone you know has had too much to drink, Bouchard urges people not to be afraid to step in. "You'd rather have a little bit of an argument over taking their keys away than having to stand at their funeral, wishing you had done something," the sheriff said.
According to Michigan State Police, November historically sees the highest number of car crashes, with the month seeing the most in 2023 at 30,993. Thanksgiving weekend, MSP said, is a particular trouble spot.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving says statistics from two years ago showed that nearly one in three fatalities for the year were on the night before Thanksgiving.
Michigan State Police Director, Colonel James Grady the Second said drivers should expect to see troopers out all weekend.
"When motorists see a police car out there and present, they do slow it down, they pay attention a little bit more," Grady said. "So, visibility is really half the battle, but yes: We are out there, we are paying attention."
If you need a safe ride home, keep this in mind: Beginning on Wednesday, AAA will offer its free ‘Tow to Go’ service, which is aimed at preventing impaired driving.
The program is available in Michigan and other select other states, offering a safe ride for would-be impaired drivers and their vehicles. AAA requests that the program be used as a last resort, yet it is free to those who need it — regardless of whether the caller is a AAA member.
Tow to Go is active from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 27, to 6 a.m. Monday, December 2. The number to call is: 855 2-TOW-2-GO or 855-286-9246 to get a confidential local ride for one person and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius.