Driving Laws, DUI and Crime on the Road

Law enforcement officers put a stop to some Halloween tricks during stepped up seat belt and drunk driving patrols.

Officers in 14 Michigan counties arrested 51 drunk drivers and wrote 588 safety belt citations during a four-day Halloween enforcement period Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, that included two notable drunk driving arrests in Southwest Michigan. One driver, arrested for OUIL, was caught driving the wrong way on a divided highway; another impaired driver fled police and was pursued by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office into neighboring St. Joseph County.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning coordinated the statewide effort funded by federal highway safety grants. The overtime enforcement period was identified because of a higher than usual number of alcohol-involved crashes. More than 60 agencies received funding to pay for extra patrols.

According to the agencies reporting statistics to OHSP, more than 1,700 stops were made resulting in 46 misdemeanor and three felony arrests, in addition to the safety belt citations and alcohol arrests.

“While the overtime dollars are provided for seat belt and drunk driving enforcement, it is common and commendable that officers are locating criminals and identifying other traffic violations when a belt or alcohol stop is made,” said OHSP Director Michael L. Prince.

OHSP administers funds for drunk driving and safety belt enforcement throughout the year to agencies in 55 counties that cover 94 percent of Michigan’s population. Each county determines when to schedule patrols based on crash data, officer availability and unique local needs. For a list of upcoming patrol dates, times and locations, please visit www.michigan.gov/ohsp .
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