The end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday and is a time for friends and families to enjoy backyard barbecues and late summer road trips. Sadly, the Labor Day holiday weekend is also one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of impaired-driving fatalities, according to the Michigan State Police.

That is why, through the remainder of August and the Labor Day holiday weekend, the MSP, along with county and municipal police agencies across Michigan, are encouraging motorists to celebrate safely and make smart driving decisions. Today through Sept. 2 will have increased enforcement and messaging about the dangers of driving impaired, MSP stated in a news release.

In 2023, nearly 41% of traffic crash fatalities on Michigan roadways involved alcohol or drugs.

The Labor Day holiday weekend periods from 2019 to 2023 saw 44 driver fatalities in traffic crashes in Michigan. In those crashes, 43.2% of the drivers killed were alcohol- and/or drug-impaired.

“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 Katie Bower, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. “The aim of the enforcement campaign is to drastically reduce deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired driving.”

Michigan in 2023 had 8,817 alcohol-involved crashes with 297 fatalities and 2,250 drug-involved crashes with 256 fatalities, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

“Driving impaired is a choice,” Bower said. “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.”

Officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol throughout the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement period. In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration 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 U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and coordinated by the OHSP.

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