"Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement results released

The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" end-of-summer enforcement campaign wrapped up on Sept. 2.

Law enforcement officers from 93 police departments, sheriff offices, and Michigan State Police recently increased patrols across the state during the campaign, according to a press release.

Preliminary reports indicated officers made 9,105 traffic stops, arrested 209 drunk drivers, issued 1,159 speeding citations and 35 child restraint citations between Aug. 14 through Sept. 2, according to a press release. In addition, 116 felony arrests were also made during the enforcement period, according to the release.

"Motorists were asked to make responsible decisions as they celebrated the end of summer and the Labor Day holiday weekend," said Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). "If you are impaired by any substance you shouldn't drive. There are no excuses."

In the state of 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 believe that are impaired, according to the release.

The release states Michigan's drunk driving law contains a zero-tolerance provision for drivers with certain illegal drugs in their system, and the same penalties for drunk driving also apply to those convicted under the zero-tolerance drug provision.

During the last "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign, a trooper from the Michigan State Police Rockford Post stopped a vehicle for going 111 miles per hour, in a 55 mile per hour zone, according to the release.

The release states, the driver had a graduated driver's license and three unrelated passengers in the car, which is a violation of the graduated driver's license program for new drivers.

In another incident, a trooper from the same post pulled over a driver for suspected impaired driving, and the stop resulted in numerous charges including delivery and possession of a controlled substance, providing false identification and a charge of operating while intoxicated, according to the release.

The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign was supported with federal traffic safety funds coordinated by the OHSP, according to the release.