Novi Police Crack Down on Drunk Drivers for Labor Day Weekend

Novi police's police car-taxi cab vehicle and several mobile billboards featuring the hybrid cruiser across the state are part of an end-of-summer statewide drunk driving crackdown.

The initiative involves local police departments, sheriff offices and Michigan State Police posts in 26 counties through Labor Day weekend. 

According to statistics compiled by Michigan's Office of Highway Safety Planning for the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, this time of the year has increased drunk-driving incidents.

Here are six of those statistics: 

1. In 2012, 342 people died in Michigan as a result of alcohol-and/or drug-involved traffic crashes, a 7.2 percent increase from 2011.
2. During the 2012 Labor Day holiday, eight people were killed in traffic crashes. Of those fatalities, four were alcohol related.
3. Alcohol-related traffic deaths and serious injuries increase during the summer months with August being the highest. During a five year period (2008-2012), alcohol involvement resulted in 753 deaths and serious injuries during the month of August.
4. Michigan law enforcment agencies arrested 37,182 motorists for drunk and impaired driving in 2012. That's nearly 102 arrests per day. 
5. During last year's enforcement, Aug. 16 to Sept. 3, 2012, 344 drunk drivers were arrested and 4,587 seat belt and child restraint citations were issued.
6. Every 53 minutes someone in the United States dies in an impaired driving-related crash.