St. Patrick's Day Revelers, Michigan Drunk Driving Blitz Begins Now

St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness revelers, be warned: Law enforcement officials will be increasing their presence across southeast Michigan beginning Wednesday and continuing through April 4, when the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament ends.

Troopers from Michigan State Police and officers from local police and sheriff’s offices will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled over campaign, an initiative of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

The March Madness Tournament begins Wednesday. On opening day, Michigan takes on Tulsa in Dayton, OH, at 9 p.m. (approximate time) in a game that will be broadcast on truTV.

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At a press conference at the Troy Police Department, authorities said 2,200 people in Michigan were arrested on drunken driving charges during March Madness last year.

Troy Police Chief Gary Mayer said police officers aren’t just interested in “writing citations and making arrests,” The Oakland Press reports. “Our goal is to save lives and prevent injuries.”

A first-time offender faces up to 93 days in jail, up to $500 in fines and 360 hours of community service, loses 6 points on driver’s license and risks a 180-day driver’s license suspension.

Also speaking at the news conference was David Easterbrook, of Troy, whose daughter, Ashley, and two of her friends were killed by a drunken driver in June 1997.

“I always thought it would never happen to me. So many people think that,” he said. “The senseless, preventable crime affects so many of us.”

Related

• Drunk on St. Patrick's Day? Law Firm Picks Up Fare

If you do drink too much and live in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb or Washtenaw counties, a Southfield law firm is offering to pay up to $35 for a taxi, Uber or Lyft cab ride home.

Christensen Law offered similar programs on Thanksgiving Eve and New Year’s Eve.