Make A Sober Driver Your Back-To-College Must-Have; Stepped Up Drunk

Driving Patrols Will Last Through Labor Day

Contact: Melody Kindraka, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, kindrakam@michigan.gov,
517-241-1522
Agency: State Police

August 21, 2015

No back-to-college checklist is complete without books, smart phones and backpacks. Law
enforcement officers from police departments, sheriffs offices and the Michigan State Police are
encouraging everyone to also add a safe, sober ride home after a party.
Stepped up drunk driving patrols begin today through Sept. 7 across the state as part of the
annual
campaign. This period includes student move-in at many Michigan colleges and universities, as
well as the Labor Day holiday weekend.
For some college students, the dangers associated with underage drinking include academic
issues, health risks and criminal charges, as well as serious injury or death from traffic
crashes. Michigan has a zero tolerance alcohol law for a driver under 21 years old. Strong
awareness and enforcement efforts help reduce underage drinking by limiting opportunities and
access to alcohol and decreasing impaired driving.

Wrapping up the summer and starting the school year should be full of possibilities, not tragedy
from preventable drunk driving crashes, said Michael L. Prince, Michigan Office of Highway Safety
Planning (OHSP) director. Be on notice: Michigan law enforcement officers will have extra patrols
looking for drunk drivers and unbuckled motorists to help keep you and your family safe.
During the 2014 Labor Day holiday period, five of the six fatal traffic crashes involved alcohol. In
2014, 319 people died in Michigan as a result of alcohol and/or drug-involved traffic crashes, a 9
percent decrease from 2013.
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will also include stepped up seat belt
enforcement. Buckling up can reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash by 45 percent.
In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at
any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired. Motorists face enhanced penalties if
arrested for a first-time drunk driving offense with a .17 BAC or higher.
Michigan law requires drivers, front seat passengers and passengers 15 and younger in any
seating position to be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8
years old or 49 tall, and children under 4 years old must be in the back seat.
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds
coordinated by OHSP. Grant-funded impaired driving and seat belt enforcement is part of
Michigans Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013.

Related Documents
Preliminary Enforcement Plans August 2015