HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, June 30, 2023) – What normally would be a holiday weekend road enforcement effort is being extended.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is funneling state and federal dollars to the state police and local law enforcement entities to pay for extra patrols on state roadways. However, the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative is not only for the extended five-day Independence Day holiday weekend through Tuesday night, but is set for nearly the entire month of July.
The Holland Department of Public Safety’s Police Services unit is among those agencies participating, according to Captain Bob Buursma.
Efforts to cut down on drunken and impaired motoring have had an impact statewide, as the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center reported this week that the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities on state roads fell from 357 in 2021 to 322 last year. However, the latest crash data reveals a disturbing five-year trend that has seen overall traffic fatalities on Michigan roadways rise 15 percent, from 974 deaths in 2018 to 1,123 in 2022.
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