State Police Step Up Highway Patrols For Christmas, New Year’s

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michiganstatepolicegood-200

Michigan State Police have stepped up patrols to make the roads safer this holiday week. Operation Care will mean additional highway enforcement for the Christmas and New Year’s periods. The traffic initiative is a cooperative effort with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and hundreds of police agencies across the United States. That includes the Michigan State Police post in Niles. According to the NHTSA, 839 people were killed as a result of crashes involving a drunk driver in December of last year. During last year’s Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday period, there were more drunk driving-related fatalities — 285 — nationwide than during all other holiday periods. In addition to watching out for drunk drivers, police are keeping their eyes open for distracted drivers and those under the influence of marijuana. If you’re going out to a holiday celebration this week or next, remember to arrange for a ride or simply don’t drink.