End-of-summer crackdown nets 267 drunk drivers

Contact: Lynn Sutfin, OHSP, (517) 241-1513
Agency: State Police

Law enforcement officers arrested 267 drunk drivers during an end-of-summer drunk driving crackdown Aug. 16-Sept. 2. This includes 45 drivers arrested for a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .17 or higher under Michigan's High BAC Law.

"Motorists were warned to drive sober or get pulled over, and more than 250 drivers failed to heed that advice," said Michael L. Prince, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director. "Enforcement efforts like this save lives by putting extra officers on the road to stop and arrest impaired drivers and prevent other dangerous driving behaviors."

A traffic stop made by Van Buren County Sheriff's Office deputies resulted in the driver being arrested for possession of cocaine, transporting open intoxicants in a motor vehicle and improperly transporting medical marijuana in a motor vehicle.

In addition, a passenger was arrested for possession of open intoxicants in a motor vehicle. Troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Tri-City Post arrested two fugitives during the crackdown, one of whom had 16 outstanding arrest warrants.

This year's crackdown also included seat belt enforcement during which officers issued 4,119 seat belt and child restraint citations.

Other enforcement activity included:

• 2,206 other traffic citations
• 816 uninsured motorist citations
• 784 speeding tickets
• 556 suspended driver license citations
• 266 fugitives apprehended
• 74 drug arrests
• 68 texting citations
• 43 felony arrests

The crackdown was coordinated by OHSP and paid for with federal traffic safety funds. Law enforcement officers from 155 state, county and local agencies in 26 counties participated in the extra patrols.

Preliminary results from the MSP Criminal Justice Information Center show there were eight traffic fatalities over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Alcohol was a factor in three crashes, one crash involved a bicyclist struck by a car and two other crashes involved unhelmeted motorcyclists. During the 2012 Labor Day holiday weekend, eight people died in traffic crashes and four of those deaths involved alcohol.

This project is part of Michigan's Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in February.