Matthew Hutchison / news@whmi.com


Livingston County’s roads are getting safer — but accidents, high-speed chases, and tragic crashes still happen far too often. In fact, MDOT points out that 90 percent of crashes are preventable.

Those are some of the takeaways from the debut episode of “Meet the People,” a new podcast that airs in its entirety at 6:30am Sunday, October 3rd on Livingston County’s Own 93-5 WHMI. The premiere episode, “Steering Toward Safety,” arrives after deadly accidents in Green Oak Township and adjacent Oakland County have everyone asking: What’s happening on our roads?

WHMI’s panel included Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez, Brighton Police Chief Brent Pirochta, South Lyon Police Chief Bonnie Unruh, and MDOT Operations Engineer George Seif.

The discussion also dug into the stats — and the numbers tell a surprising story.

Locally, Livingston County has seen annual crashes fall from 4,606 to 4,560 over the past decade (2014-2024), while traffic deaths dropped 26%. Brighton and South Lyon show similar improvements, with South Lyon cutting injury crashes nearly in half.

But law enforcement and MDOT officials point out we’re seeing a rise in other types of fatalities and injuries, and they emphasize that the most-important safety feature in every vehicle isn’t the technology – it’s the driver.

MDOT also shares an update on infrastructure projects like the Diverging Diamond Interchange in Brighton and other major roadwork on the horizon.

The new “Meet the People” podcast aims to bridge the gap between our community and its leaders, examining pressing local issues with data, context, and thoughtful conversation.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation in the provided link.