July 26, 2004

Lansing - Law enforcement officers across the state arrested 3,105 motorists for alcohol-related offenses during the You Drink & Drive. You Lose. drunk driving crackdown, which took place June 25-July 11. Of those arrests, 1,627 were for drunk driving and 1,478 were for other alcohol violations.

The results were an increase from the December 2003 enforcement effort which resulted in the arrest of 2,778 motorists for alcohol-related offenses, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).

The drunk driving crackdown included the July 4^th holiday weekend. Preliminary reports indicate there were 10 traffic-related fatalities during the three-day holiday period, two of which involved alcohol. Last July 4^th there were 17 fatal crashes, resulting in 17 deaths.

"Once again, law enforcement officers across the state proved they have zero tolerance for drunk drivers," said Michael L. Prince, OHSP division director. "And their efforts made for a safer Independence Day on Michigan roadways."

More than 500 agencies participated in the crackdown and according to the 234 agencies reporting statistics to OHSP, 50,306 vehicles were stopped during the two-week enforcement blitz. This resulted in 821 arrests for felony charges and 4,054 individuals arrested on misdemeanor charges. Officers also wrote 15,825 speeding citations and issued 3,061 safety belt citations for motorists over the age of 15 and 472 child restraint citations.

For a breakdown of arrest activity by county, visit www.michigan.gov/ohsp and click on the You Drink & Drive. You Lose logo.

Read more news releases from the Michigan State Police.