NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
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The holiday season is known for being merry and bright, but it is also known for being the deadliest season when it comes to drunk driving.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the law enforcement community nationwide during the 2023 winter holiday season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement campaign, which runs from Dec. 15, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2024.
In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of local residents, you will see officers working together to take impaired drivers off the roads.
Officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol throughout the enforcement period. In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired.
In 2022, approximately 40 percent of fatalities on Michigan roadways involved alcohol and/or drugs, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from 2018 to 2022, there were 66 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in Michigan. In those crashes, 17 of the drivers killed were alcohol impaired.
Officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol throughout the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement period. 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 coordinated by the OHSP.
Have a happy holiday and keep the season merry and bright by following the law and refusing to drink and drive. During this busy winter holiday season, think twice before drinking and driving.
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