January 15, 2004 
LANSING – There were no breaks for motorists breaking the law in December as Michigan law enforcement officers arrested 2,712 motorists for alcohol-related offenses during the You Drink & Drive. You Lose. crackdown.

The results were an increase from July’s crackdown, during which 2,583 motorists were arrested for alcohol-related offenses. The December mobilization, Dec. 19, 2003 – Jan. 4, 2004, was the first one under Michigan’s new, tougher drunk driving law that took effect Sept. 30. The new law lowered the limit at which a motorist is considered a drunk driver to .08 blood alcohol content.

 “Despite the celebratory nature of the holidays, drunk drivers did not get any breaks,” said Michael L. Prince, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) division director. “There was strict enforcement of the state’s drunk driving laws by law enforcement officers across the state.”

More than 500 agencies participated in the statewide crackdown and according to the 311 agencies reporting statistics to OHSP, 51,467 vehicles were stopped during the mobilization. In addition to the alcohol arrests, officers arrested 697 individuals for felony charges and 4,241 for misdemeanor offenses. They also wrote 11,438 speeding citations and issued 2,274 safety belt citations for motorists over the age of 15 and 146 child restraint citations.

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