DETROIT (FOX 2) - Police across Michigan are ramping up patrols to combat drunk and drugged driving around the Labor Day holiday.
From Aug. 15 through Sept. 1, more police will have eyes on the road, looking for impaired drivers as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative.
"Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking or taking drugs endangers you, your passengers and everyone else on the road," said Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). "We are encouraging people to make the right choice and find a sober ride home if they plan on consuming substances that impair driving abilities."
By the numbers:
According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), of the 1,021 fatal crashes in 2023 in Michigan, 272 involved alcohol, while 230 involved drug use.
In addition to the fatal alcohol-involved crashes in 2023, there were 8,817 crashes that year that involved alcohol. The most fatal crashes involving drivers who had been drinking happened in August, according to UMTRI data.
Between 2019 and 2023, there were 44 driver deaths in crashes in the state over the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. Of those deaths, alcohol or drugs were involved in 43.2 % of the crashes.
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Dig deeper:
Michigan was directed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create the Michigan Impaired Driving Task Force (MIDTF) as a result of rising rates of impaired driving in the state. This collaborative effort between traffic safety partners aims to end deaths and serious injuries stemming from impaired driving.
"I’ve seen firsthand the heart-breaking devastation caused by poor decision-making of impaired drivers," said retired Judge Tina Brooks-Green, who chairs the MIDTF. "I’m honored and excited to be working alongside key stakeholders in traffic safety, including law enforcement agencies, community organizations, public health officials and other experts in the impaired-driving field, to help make our roads safer for everyone."
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