Impaired-driving enforcement campaign to increase during winter holidays

The vacation season is without doubt one of the most harmful occasions of the yr for drunk driving accidents. To handle the issue, police departments throughout Michigan will take part within the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement marketing campaign, working from December 12, 2025 by way of January 1, 2026, with no tolerance for drunk driving.

A complete of 19 individuals had been killed in site visitors accidents in Michigan through the Christmas holidays between 2020 and 2024, in line with the College of Michigan’s Transportation Analysis Institute. 9 of the deaths (47.4 p.c) had been concerned in an accident involving alcohol and/or drug abuse.

“Household gatherings, workplace events and celebratory occasions improve alcohol consumption, as does the chance of impaired driving,” stated Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan Workplace of Freeway Security Planning (OHSP). “Driving whereas inebriated or medicine not solely places you in danger, but in addition endangers different drivers, passengers and pedestrians.”

In 2024, 1,012 deadly crashes occurred in Michigan, 276 (27.3%) involving alcohol and 246 (24.3%) involving medicine. The variety of street deaths was 1,099, with 307 (27.9%) of those deaths associated to alcohol and 272 (24.7%) associated to medicine.

Michigan State Police, county sheriff’s places of work and municipal police departments throughout Michigan are encouraging motorists to rejoice safely and make sensible driving selections. In the course of the almost three-week marketing campaign, there shall be elevated surveillance and reporting on the risks of drunk driving. In the course of the “Driving sober or being pulled over” enforcement interval, officers will preserve a watch out for motorists who’re inebriated and/or medicine.

“The objective of the enforcement marketing campaign is to dramatically cut back the variety of deaths and severe accidents brought on by poor driving,” Sledge stated. “We would like all Michiganders to have a good time through the holidays, however to maintain everybody protected, we additionally urge individuals to be accountable, make sensible selections and plan a sober experience residence.”

In Michigan, it’s unlawful to drive with a blood alcohol content material (BAC) of 0.08 or greater, though motorists at any BAC stage could be arrested if an officer believes they’re beneath the affect.

Drivers with any quantity of a Schedule 1 managed substance and/or cocaine are topic to the identical fines and penalties as drunk drivers, even when they present no indicators of impairment. The one exception is an individual who has a legitimate medical marijuana card and drives with hashish of their system. By regulation, an officer should show that she or he has an impairment.

The implications of a drunk driving conviction fluctuate relying on the variety of offenses and whole BAC. Whether it is decrease than .17 and driving beneath the affect is the primary offense, the motive force might face a nice of as much as $500, 93 days in jail, 360 hours of group service, 180 days of driver’s license suspension, or six factors on a driver’s license. Driving beneath the affect of marijuana can have related penalties.

In response to Michigan.gov, tens of hundreds of individuals are arrested every year in Michigan for alcohol and drug-related crimes. If somebody is aware of she or he is just too drunk or excessive to drive, the state of Michigan recommends the next:

– Designate a sober driver earlier than consuming alcohol or utilizing medicine.

– Name a buddy, taxi, drive, stroll or take the bus.

– Keep in a single day.

To boost consciousness and encourage protected and sober driving, the OHSP is funding a statewide media marketing campaign on the risks of impaired driving. December can be Nationwide Impaired Driving Prevention Month, which was established in 1981 to remind those who serving to forestall drunk driving accidents is each driver’s duty.

The enforcement marketing campaign is supported by federal freeway security funds from the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration and coordinated by the OHSP.

For extra data, go to the OHSP Impaired Driving web page at www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/ohsp/safety-programs/impaired-driving.