Seasonal & Holidays
Drunken Driving Warning: Michigan Police Announce Memorial Day Checks
Police on the lookout for drunken and distracted driving and seatbelt violations. And don't drive while eating oatmeal, either.
Michigan State Police are targeting impaired and aggressive driving and seatbelt violations this Memorial Day Weekend.
State troopers are participating in Operation C.A.R.E (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), a nationwide effort that focuses on aggressive and impaired driving, as well as the annual Click It Or Ticket seatbelt enforcement campaign that runs through May 31.
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Police haven’t said where enforcement zones are located, except that they will take place in all 83 Michigan counties. Police departments and sheriff’s offices are assisting troopers in the campaign, which is aimed at reducing the number of traffic fatalities involving people who weren’t wearing seatbelts. Last year, 188 unbelted motorists or passengers died in Michigan car crashes .
The State Police said buckling up can reduce the risk of serious injury or death by 45 percent.
Find out what's happening in Royal Oakfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Also On Patch:
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- If You Only Go to One Memorial Day Observance, This Should Be It
- Soldiering On: Patch Editor’s Memorial Day Notebook
- 5 Stupid Things You Shouldn’t Do On Michigan Lakes This Memorial Day Weekend
The Memorial Day holiday weekend officially runs through midnight Monday/Tuesday.
More than 1 million Michigan residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles somewhere this weekend – the most in eight years, according to AAA Michigan. The increased travel results from the lowest gas prices in five years and improving consumer confidence, Sue Hiltz, a spokeswoman for AAA Michigan said in a news release.
AAA joined the call to keep the state’s roads safe by bringing a parade of police chiefs to Comerica Park to pose with the Tigers mascot, Paws, for public service announcements warning motorists to buckle up, turn off their cell phones and use designated drivers if they plan to drink.
Even among sober drivers, distracted driving can be deadly, Michigan State Police Capt. Monica Yesh. told the Detroit Free Press.
“The other day, I watched a woman eating her oatmeal – she was steering with her knees,” Yesh said.
The driver was ticketed.
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