"If you are impaired by any substance you shouldn't drive," said Michael L. Prince, Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) director.
More than 200 people were arrested for drunk driving during the end-of-the-year crackdown.
Almost 100 departments, sheriff's offices and Michigan State Police posts took part in increased patrols across the state between Dec. 13 and 31, 2018.
"Motorists were asked to make responsible decisions as they celebrated the holidays and to have a plan in place to get home safely. Unfortunately, the holidays were not a merry occasion for everyone."
Preliminary reports show:
8,674 traffic stops
arrested 204 drunk drivers
issued 883 speeding citations
issued 84 child restraint citations
93 felony arrests
In one instance, a trooper from the MSP Marshall Post stopped a vehicle for suspected drunk driving. In the process of removing the driver from vehicle the officer noticed a large caliber handgun on the driver. Both the handgun and the driver's sweatshirt had blood on them from an unknown source. Later that day, the Battle Creek Fire Department responded to an active residential fire and discovered a deceased body inside who had been shot multiple times and died before the fire started. Upon investigation, it was determined that the driver stopped for suspicion of drunk driving committed the homicide with the weapon found inside the vehicle. The person is currently in custody on several felony charges. In another instance, officers from the Allegan County Sheriff's Office responded to a call for a wrong-way driver on US-131, which led to a pursuit. The driver was arrested on a felony drunk driving charges and driving on a suspended license.
In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired.
Michigan's drunk driving law contains a zero-tolerance provision for drivers with certain illegal drugs in their system.
