(WXYZ) — Officers made 7,529 traffic stops during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown from Dec. 11, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021.
The campaign focused on decreasing crashes by stopping impaired drivers
“If you are impaired by any substance you shouldn’t drive,” said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning director, in a press release. “Motorists were asked to make responsible decisions as they celebrated the holidays and to have a plan in place to get home safely. Unfortunately, the holidays were not a merry occasion for everyone.”
Preliminary reports indicate officers made 7,529 traffic stops, arrested 159 drunk drivers and 39 drivers under the influence of drugs, issued 1,120 speeding citations, 88 seat belt citations, and 13 child-restraint citations. In addition, officers made 147 felony arrests during the enforcement period.
In one instance, police say a trooper from the MSP Flint Post responded to a road-rage incident in progress, which led to the arrest of a suspect for two counts of felonious assault, CCW (firearm), possession of a firearm with unlawful intent, multiple counts of felony firearm, and possession of Adderall.
In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired.
Michigan’s drunk driving law contains a zero-tolerance provision for drivers with certain illegal drugs in their system. The same penalties for drunk driving also apply to those convicted under the zero-tolerance drug provision.
