By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


More than half of Livingston County drivers stopped during an end-of-summer enforcement campaign were ticketed for speeding.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds and coordinated by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. This year’s effort got underway August 16th and wrapped up September 6th after the Labor Day holiday weekend – with Michiganders reminded to make responsible decisions when celebrating the end of summer both before and during the campaign.

More than 102 law enforcement agencies took part, including the Michigan State Police Brighton Post and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.

Preliminary reports showed statewide, officers made 10,370 traffic stops and arrested 200 impaired drivers - including 166 for operating while intoxicated and 34 for operating under the influence of drugs.
OHSP Communications Specialist Dennis Raymo told WHMI the preliminary results show that quite a few people are still driving impaired and speeding. He noted they’ve seen a disturbing trend over the past year with increased speeding and impaired driving, as well as a decrease in seatbelt use.

Raymo said the two local agencies reported 678 traffic stops, including 7 impaired drivers who were arrested. He noted what was also distributing was that they issued more than 383 speeding citations – meaning out of all the traffic stops in the Livingston County area, more than half were stopped for speeding.

When asked how the recent campaign stacked up against last year’s numbers, Raymo stated they’re hard to compare due to the pandemic so a lot of times they’re using 2019 numbers because it gives a better picture of comparing one year to another – but he added that even this year they can’t call it “a normal year”.

The enforcement campaign also resulted in 370 seat belt citations, 35 child restraint violations for those age 7 and under, 2,417 speeding citations, 846 other moving violations. Further, there were 1,122 other non-moving violations, 807 misdemeanor arrests and 167 felony arrests.