‘A critical issue’ -- Michigan steps up speed enforcement during regional traffic safety campaign

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - After a steep rise in both speeding and fatal crashes, Michigan law enforcement has announced an upcoming campaign to crack down on speeding.

The last two years have seen a significant rise in speeding and fatal crashes. To combat that trend, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are partnering on a regional traffic safety campaign.

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Law enforcement agencies across Michigan, including the Michigan State Police (MSP,) will focus on speeding drivers between June 18 and 26 in an initiative called “Great Lakes, High Stakes.”

“Speeding continues to be a critical issue in Michigan that leads to many needless crashes, serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways,” said Alicia Sledge, interim director of the OHSP. “It has been proven that the faster you drive the greater your risk of dying in a crash.

In Michigan, the number of traffic crashes rose from 245,432 in 2020 to 282,640 in 2021. That’s an increase of 15%. There was a coinciding rise in fatalities (1,131 in 2021 compared to 1,083 in 2020).

According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, in 2020, 6.4% of male drivers involved in all traffic crashes were speeding, 15.2% of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, 11.2% of drivers in the 15 to 20-year-old age group involved in crashes were speeding and 15.1% of all drivers who were drinking in crashes were speeding.

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