During this Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Michigan State Police (MSP) is reminding motorists to buckle up and make safety a priority during their holiday travel. Again this year, MSP troopers will join their counterparts from across the country in the international traffic safety initiative, Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Efforts).
“As part of Operation C.A.R.E., the statewide Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign, and the 6 State Trooper Project, troopers will take a zero-tolerance approach to unbuckled motorists,” stated Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “In addition to looking for safety belt and child restraint violations, troopers will pay special attention to drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and drugs or are driving in a reckless and unsafe manner.”
The official Memorial Day enforcement period begins at 12:01 a.m., on Monday, May 21, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 28, 2018. Last year, 10 fatal traffic crashes resulted in 10 deaths over the Memorial Day weekend.
Operation C.A.R.E. was formed to deter three causes of highway fatalities: aggressive driving, impaired driving, and failure to use occupant restraints.
Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the MSP and the Indiana State Police and is one of the nation’s longest-running traffic safety initiatives. State police and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Quebec Police Force, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be participating in this life saving traffic safety initiative. Operation C.A.R.E. also includes participation from police agencies affiliated with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
