(WWJ) Nearly 200 people were arrested for impaired driving during the end-of-the-year holiday crackdown in Michigan.
Officers from 90 police departments, sheriff’s offices and Michigan State Police posts increased patrols across the state during the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, from December 11, 2020 to January 1, 2021.
Before and during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, law enforcement officers throughout Michigan participated with the goal of saving lives and decreasing crashes by stopping impaired drivers.
“If you are impaired by any substance you shouldn’t drive,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. “Motorists were asked to make responsible decisions as they celebrated the holidays and to have a plan in place to get home safely. Unfortunately, the holidays were not a merry occasion for everyone.”
Preliminary reports showed:
• Officers made 7,529 traffic stops
• 159 drivers were arrested for driving drunk
• 39 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs,
• 1,120 drivers were given speeding citations
• 88 drivers were given seatbelt citations
• 13 drivers were issued child-restraint citations
• Officers also made 147 felony arrests during the enforcement period
In one instance, MSU said a a trooper from the MSP Flint Post responded to a road rage incident in progress, which led to the arrest of a suspect for two counts of felonious assault, CCW (firearm), possession of a firearm with unlawful intent, multiple counts of felony firearm, and possession of Adderall.
According to the 2019 Michigan Annual Drunk Driving Audit by the MSP, 41.9 percent of all fatal crashes that occurred involved alcohol, drugs, or both.
In Michigan, 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 believes they are impaired. Michigan’s drunk driving law contains a zero-tolerance provision for drivers with certain illegal drugs in their system. The same penalties for drunk driving also apply to those convicted under the zero-tolerance drug provision.
These crackdowns are paid for with federal traffic safety funds provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and coordinated by the OHSP.