(WWJ) Now underway: the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign means a law enforcement crackdown on drunk and drugged driving in Metro Detroit and across the state.
To help keep all roadway users safe during the winter holidays, officials say there will be expanded enforcement with increased patrols from Dec. 11, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025, with zero tolerance for those who drive impaired.
"If you're gonna go out there and have a good time over the holiday season, just go out there and have a designated driver, go out there and get a rideshare," said Michigan State Police First Lt. Mike Shaw, in an interview with WWJ's Beth Fisher.
"Make a plan so, if you do smoke marijuana or you do drink alcohol at that party, that you can safely get home and not get behind the wheel."
Shaw said MSP has seen an increase in impaired driving over the last several years.
From 2019 to 2023, there were 30 people killed in traffic crashes in Michigan during the holiday periods. Shaw said 13 those crashes involved alcohol and/ or drug impairment.
In 2023, nearly 41% of fatalities on Michigan roadways involved alcohol and/or drugs, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
"We just want everybody to stay safe this holiday season, and it's our goal, actually, that we make it through the rest of the year without another fatal accident or a fatal crash here in Michigan," Shaw said.
In Michigan, drivers should not that it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer thinks they are impaired.
The enforcement campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and coordinated by the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). Learn more at this link.