LANSING, Mich. – Holiday traffic fatalities more than doubled in Michigan from 2017 to 2018, according to state police.
Michigan State Police reports 10 people died in nine separate traffic crashes during the holiday weekend "Operation C.A.R.E." enforcement.
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The fatalities more than double in comparison to the four people who lost their lives in four separate traffic crashes during the 2017 initiative.
Of the 10 fatalities, four were pedestrians, three of the fatal crashes involved alcohol, and four of the occupants were either not wearing seat belts or restraint use was unknown.
“This long running traffic safety initiative focuses on dangerous driving decisions and behaviors that result in serious injury and fatal traffic crashes,” stated Spl/F/Lt. Jim Flegel, State Services Bureau. “The New Year holiday will also be a busy travel period and we will continue traffic enforcement through the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving traffic safety campaign, which ends on Dec. 31, 2018.”
The 2018 Operation C.A.R.E. Lifesaver Weekend ran from 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, through 11:59 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. These preliminary numbers reflect fatalities reported to the MSP as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018.