During this last full weekend before Christmas, the Michigan State Police (MSP) will join other state police and highway patrol agencies across the United States in an effort to make travel safer by participating in the annual Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Efforts) Lifesaver Weekend. The purpose of this initiative is to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities resulting from crashes caused by dangerous driving behaviors.
“This is a very busy travel time as families and loved ones are celebrating, shopping and participating in other festive functions,” stated Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “Distractions are all around us. Troopers will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to impaired drivers and motorists exhibiting any unsafe driving, including not wearing their safety belt, texting while driving and traveling too fast for weather conditions.”
Operation C.A.R.E. Lifesaver Weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. Last year, seven fatal traffic crashes resulted in seven deaths over the Lifesaver Weekend.
Operation C.A.R.E. is a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing traffic crashes and fatalities on highways across the country. It began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the MSP and the Indiana State Police. Today Operation C.A.R.E. is one of the nation’s longest running traffic safety initiatives and includes state and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, as well as some American territories and Canadian provinces. Beginning this year, Operation C.A.R.E. includes participation from police agencies affiliated with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as well.
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
