DETROIT – Michigan State Police’s recently reinstated motor unit is taking aggressive action against dangerous driving behaviors on Metro Detroit freeways, where officers recently clocked speeds as high as 103 mph during a targeted enforcement operation.
During a recent three-hour Operation Wolfpack detail on I-96 near Joy Road, troopers conducted 71 traffic stops resulting in:
- 85 citations issued
- 18 verbal warnings
- 19 misdemeanor arrests
- 1 vehicle towed
“Stats prove that with a higher level of police presence on the freeways, engaging in traffic stops, it slows down the speeding traffic,” said Lt. Tarzza Williams, who leads MSP’s support section. “We want safe commuters for everyone that’s out on the road.”
Data-Driven Enforcement
The operation strategically targets areas based on citizen complaints and crash data through what MSP calls DDACs (Data Driven Approach to Criminal and Traffic Activities). Officers analyze violent crash locations and respond to concerns from construction crews and community members.
“We get a lot of complaints that come in from citizens, from commanders,” Williams explained. “You can’t find a freeway system without finding some construction. So, we get a lot of phone calls from the construction crews saying, ‘Hey, we have these cars that are blowing our doors off.’”
High-Tech Speed Detection
During the operation, officers positioned on overpasses use LIDAR technology to identify speeders.
“I’ll identify one that I think is speeding, try to estimate the speed to the best that I can and then measure it,” said Sgt. Daniel Robertson. “Typically, that speed is going to be really close.”
The Real Cost of Speeding
For drivers thinking about pushing the speed limit to save time, Lt. Williams offers a sobering perspective.
“The speed limit for the most part is 70 miles an hour. For those going 90 miles an hour, so 20 over the speed limit, the average commuter is saving three, maybe five minutes in that commute,” he said. “Is that three to five minutes worth the safety of the people in your vehicle or other people?”
Ongoing Challenge
Drivers acknowledge the persistent issue of dangerous driving.
“You see a lot of wild driving, jumping lanes and hitting the brakes,” said Arthur Goodson. “High speed. Yeah, always high speed. Everybody in a rush to get to where they’re going.”
MSP emphasizes that unchecked speeding creates a false sense of security.
“The more you do something, the more emboldened you get,” Williams noted. “You’re running late to work – ‘I went [90 mph], it took me 20 minutes to get to work, and I didn’t see a police officer.’ So what happens the next time? You do it again.”
While officers often show leniency with reduced tickets, they stress that repeated violations can lead to license suspension once drivers accumulate 12 points.