Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cops increase patrols

November 22, 2000

More than 400 law enforcement agencies across the state, many in mid-Michigan, are stepping up traffic patrol during the Thanksgiving holiday as part of “Operation Click It or Ticket.”

Operation Click it or Ticket is the Michigan mobilization effort of Buckle Up America and Operation ABC Mobilization: America Buckles Up Children, two nationwide safety campaigns.

The campaign, sponsored by the Office of Highway Safety Planning, will publicize Michigan’s new mandatory safety belt law, which passed in March. The initiative also hopes to cut down on all types of traffic safety violations including drunken driving, said Debbie Savage, police traffic service coordinator for the planning commission.

“Most kids that are killed in traffic accidents are in the car unbuckled and riding with a drunken driver so we combined the effort,” she said.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is traditionally one of the most-traveled holiday weekends of the year, making safety an important issue. Extra Michigan State troopers will be on the roads from 6 p.m. today until midnight Sunday.

“You’re getting more people traveling this time of year for the holidays to visit relatives, some in state and some out of state,” MSU police Sgt. Randy Holten said. “We just want to make sure everyone gets where they are going safely, enjoys the holiday and gets back safely too.

“We’ll be concentrating on the traffic violations we do all the time: speeding, stop sign violations, traffic light violations and seat belt violations.

“But this week we’ll be looking a little harder than usual for these violations.”

There were 20 fatal traffic accidents in Michigan resulting in 22 deaths during last year’s Thanksgiving weekend. Of those killed, 66 percent weren’t wearing their safety belts, according to the Michigan State Police.

Holten said MSU police have participated in the Click It or Ticket program and others like it for about three years. In that time he’s noticed that people make a concerted effort to buckle up and obey safety laws during the holidays when they know more patrol officers will be on the roads.

“If they are aware that we’re out there, they try to move slower and follow the traffic laws,” he said. “If we can keep the speeds where they’re supposed to be and get them to wear their safety belts, then if there is an accident, it raises the chances motorists will survive.”

Ingham County Sheriff Department will have extra patrols on Ingham County roads starting today and running through Monday as part of the same campaign.

“They will be highly visible on the roads and making plenty of traffic stops,” Deputy Jeff Weiss said. “Our goal is to lower the rate of injuries and fatalities on Ingham County roadways.”

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