‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’: impaired driving enforcement to begin soon

LANSING, Mich. (WJMN) — The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is encouraging sober driving as the Labor Day holiday nears.

The holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of impaired-driving fatalities, indicating that a late-summer enforcement period is needed more than ever.

During a three-week period this year from August 16 through September 2, there will be increased enforcement and messaging about the dangers of driving impaired.

“The aim of the enforcement campaign is to drastically reduce deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired driving,” said Katie Bower, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend periods from 2019 to 2023, there were 44 driver fatalities in traffic crashes in Michigan. Of the drivers killed in those crashes, 43.2 percent were alcohol- and/or drug-impaired.

To help avoid roadway fatalities this Labor Day weekend, the Michigan State Police (MSP) and county and municipal police agencies across the state are encouraging motorists to celebrate safely and make smart driving decisions.

Officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol throughout the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement period.

In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, although drivers can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes the motorist is impaired.

The OHSP is funding a statewide media campaign about the dangers of impaired driving to increase awareness and encourage safe and sober driving.

Supported with federal traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign” is coordinated by the OHSP.

To learn more, visit this link .

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