submitted by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office will step up enforcement and be on the lookout for impaired drivers in Washtenaw County, from March 13 through April 2. This time period includes the NCAA basketball tournament, many high school and college spring break periods, and St. Patrick’s Day. Law enforcement officers will work over 100 hours in Washtenaw County designated for impaired driving enforcement.

In 2015, 384 people died in Michigan in alcohol and/or drug-involved traffic crashes, an increase from 319 deaths in 2014. (Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center-CJIC).

In 2015, 2,182 people in Michigan were arrested for drunk driving during the NCAA tournament time (March 17-April 6, 2015). Of those, 672 were were charged under the state’s high blood-alcohol (BAC) law. (CJIC)

If you see someone driving drunk, call 911 when it’s safe to do so, and give a description of the vehicle to law enforcement. With one-third of all crash fatalities in the United States involving drunk drivers, it is your business. Getting drunk drivers off the roads saves lifes.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown is coordinated by the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and supported by federal traffic safety funds.

In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired. Motorists face enhanced penalties if arrested for a first-time drunk driving offense with a .17 BAC or higher.

Grant-funded impaired driving enforcement is part of Michigan’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013.