More police on the roads as Fourth of July travel picks up

MID-MICHIGAN (WNEM) – Traffic is heavier than normal on I-75 for the Fourth of July holiday, with many traveling north over the next few days, so state police and local law enforcement will be patrolling in bigger numbers.

If you’re a driver with a lead foot, you’ll need to be careful as we can expect to see a large presence of patrol cars on the streets looking for speeders for the holiday and the whole month.

“If we’re all hurrying to get where we’re going, then there will be issues on the roadways and we’re trying to avoid that,” said MSP Lt. Kim Vetter.

MSP is getting the word out about its partnership with local law enforcement that will see more officers throughout July looking for speeders as they work to reduce the number of speed-related crashes.

“The biggest problem is congestion. And when you have a lot of vehicles on the roadway, when any incident happens—a breakdown or a crash or any other thing—it can really throw a wrench in people’s plans,” Vetter said.

Depending on the county you live in, a speeding ticket could cost you from $100 to $200, and that’s if you get only a ticket.

“In some cases, if somebody does something serious enough and it causes injury or death, they could be looking at jail time,” Vetter said.

According to the state police’s annual traffic crash report, in 2023, there were 21,535 crashes reported involving excessive speed and 195 deaths related to speeding, which is down from their 2022 numbers of 26,996 and 209 deaths.

“Slow down, pay attention to the roads around you, the people around you, and make sure you are leaving enough space and enough time to get where you’re going safely,” Vetter said.

Some drivers are doing just that, either giving themselves ample time to travel or—like the Fulton family—letting technology give them the best route.

“Our GPS, Google Maps, took us back roads, so we didn’t have to do 75, but I was told that 75 is getting crazy right now,” said Michelle Fulton.

Traveling from Lansing, the family spoke to TV5 when they were about an hour away from their final destination of Lake Huron. Fulton said they’ve had some luck only coming across a few officers looking for speeders during their travels.

“Our group chat, my sister and my niece told us that the cops were out. They warned us,” Fulton said.

It may seem like an obvious request, but state police also remind everyone to make sure they’re wearing their seatbelts. After all, it’s the law.

State police said the ultimate goal is to make sure Michiganders are changing their driving behaviors altogether.

Subscribe to the TV5 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every day.

Copyright 2024 WNEM. All rights reserved.