Courtesy Photo A “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” logo is pictured in the mirror of a vehicle. “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign encourages sober driving as busy Labor Day holiday nears.

LANSING — Impaired driving–whether due to alcohol, drugs or both–is a year-round danger on our roadways, according to a Wednesday press release from Michigan’s Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). However, late summer and the Labor Day holiday period are among the deadliest times of the year for crashes and fatalities involving impaired drivers.

Over the Labor Day holiday weekends from 2019 to 2023, there were a total of 44 driver fatalities in traffic crashes in Michigan. In those crashes, 43.2% of the drivers killed were alcohol- and/or drug-impaired, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

Throughout 2023, of the 1,021 fatal crashes that occurred in Michigan, 272 (26.6%) were alcohol-involved and 230 (22.5%) were drug-involved.

During the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign–running from August 15 through September 1–there will be increased enforcement and messaging about the dangers of driving impaired, the press release stated. During the enforcement period, the Michigan State Police, along with county and municipal police agencies across Michigan, will be encouraging motorists to celebrate the late summer and upcoming holiday weekend with safe-driving decisions.

“Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking or taking drugs endangers you, your passengers and everyone else on the road,” said Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan OHSP in the press release. “We are encouraging people to make the right choice and find a sober ride home if they plan on consuming substances that impair driving abilities.”

Overall, there were 8,817 alcohol-involved crashes (with 297 fatalities) and 2,250 drug-involved crashes (with 256 fatalities) in 2023, according to UMTRI. The 297 alcohol-involved fatalities accounted for 27.1 percent of the total number of people killed (1,095).

While “Had Been Drinking” (HBD) injury crashes were highest in both June and July in 2023 (342 each), the highest number of HBD fatal crashes (40) occurred in August.

There were 1,589 (18.2 percent) drinking drivers in crashes who were aged 24 or younger.

Due to Michigan’s rising impaired-driving crash statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) directed the state to establish the Michigan Impaired Driving Task Force (MIDTF), a collaborative effort among traffic safety partners to reduce deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired driving, according to the press release.

Retired Judge Tina Brooks-Green, chair of the MIDTF, presided over thousands of impaired-driving cases during more than 30 years on the bench. The judge said driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a reckless choice that impacts more than just the impaired driver.

“I’ve seen firsthand the heart-breaking devastation caused by poor decision-making of impaired drivers,” said Judge Brooks-Green in the press release. “I’m honored and excited to be working alongside key stakeholders in traffic safety, including law enforcement agencies, community organizations, public health officials and other experts in the impaired-driving field, to help make our roads safer for everyone.”

During the enforcement, police officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, although drivers can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired.

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

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation and NHTSA and administered by the OHSP.

Learn more by visiting the OHSP impaired-driving webpage at https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/ohsp/safety-programs/impaired-driving.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.