As part of an annual campaign, law enforcement officials across the state will be taking part in mobilizations aimed at taking drunk drivers off the roadways this summer.
The first local mobilization of the year is slated to take place June 15 to17, with another to follow June 22 to 24. Officers from Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, Sault Tribe, Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, Kinross Township, and Michigan State Police will be cracking down on local roadways.
Mobilizations are only the first step being taken to make the roads safer as proposals regarding removing repeat offenders from the roads are being discussed in the House.
Currently, anyone who has been convicted of a drunk driving offense has it removed from their record after a 10-year period with no new infractions. If at that time they are found guilty after their record has been cleared, the new offense is considered a first offense again resulting in a lighter sentencing.
The first proposal, dubbed "Heidi's Law" after a 16-year old Bellaire resident was killed by a repeat offender, is a hot topic amongst lawmakers who are angry that drunk drivers are continuing to get behind the wheel. The second proposal calls for individuals with a blood alcohol content of .15, almost twice the legal limit, to take part in mandatory alcohol treatment and to use an ignition interlock every time they get behind the wheel of a vehicle for a period of one year. This law would streamline the way drunk drivers are sentenced across the state.
The proposals will make their way to both chambers of the Legislature in the coming weeks with a vote expected this fall.
Michigan's current legal limit, .08, is considered legally drunk. Violators face up to 93 days in jail, a $500 fine, 360 hours of community service, six points on their driver's license and 180 days license suspension. Convicted drunk drivers also will be subject to a $1,000 penalty for two consecutive years.
According to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration someone is killed in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash every 31 minutes. In addition, someone is non-fatally injured every two minutes in an alcohol-related crash. More than 35 percent of all traffic related deaths involve alcohol.
