HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Michigan State Police officials are reminding motorists to make safety a priority when driving. Again this year, police across the nation will participate in the international traffic safety initiative, Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Efforts) to reduce or eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries.
“Be the type of driver you want everyone else to be: courteous, sober and 100 percent committed to the task at hand,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, MSP director. “Celebrate responsibly this Fourth of July by arranging for a sober driver, wearing your seatbelt every trip and refraining from distractions while behind the wheel.”
The official Fourth of July holiday period begins at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, July 3, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4. Last year, 14 fatal traffic crashes resulted in 14 deaths over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the MSP and the Indiana State Police, and is one of the nation’s longest-running traffic safety initiatives. It focuses on deterring the three main causes of highway fatalities: aggressive driving, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints.
State police and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Quebec Police Force and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be participating in this lifesaving traffic safety initiative. Operation C.A.R.E. also includes participation from police agencies affiliated with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
