September 17, 2007

More than 1,500 motorists found themselves over the limit and under arrest during the recent statewide drunk driving crackdown. Michigan law enforcement officers arrested 1,002 motorists for drunk driving and another 513 for other alcohol-related offenses during the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. campaign that concluded on Labor Day.

More than 500 local police agencies, county sheriff's offices and Michigan State Police posts across the state focused on drunk driving from Aug. 17 -  Sept. 3 as part of the crackdown that was coordinated by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).

"Each time a drunk driver is taken off the road, potential tragedies are prevented," said OHSP Director Michael L. Prince.

At least 45 agencies in 28 counties utilized federal funding for warrant sweeps where officers sought out individuals who have failed to appear in court on previous alcohol-related charges. The sweeps resulted in 262 arrests on outstanding warrants, 77 of those for alcohol-related offenses.

According to the agencies reporting statistics to OHSP, 34,669 vehicles were stopped. In addition to the alcohol arrests, there were 390 felony and 2,170 misdemeanor arrests. Officers also wrote 9,582 speeding citations and issued 1,325 safety belt citations and 46 child restraint citations.

Preliminary results show there were six traffic fatalities in Michigan over the Labor Day holiday weekend, two of which involved alcohol, according to the Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center.

For more specific results, including a breakdown by county, visit www.michigan.gov/ohsp.