More than 2,900 speeding tickets were issued to combat the alarming rise of speeding and fatal crashes in Michigan.

Dozens of Michigan law enforcement agencies were out in force issuing tickets for those not observing posted speeds. From June 19 to June 27, more than 50 municipal, county, and Michigan State Police law enforcement agencies focused on stopping speeding drivers.

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During that time over 2,941 speeding citations were issued. In addition, 2,353 warnings were issued. While Michigan has seen a 22 percent reduction in traffic crashes there has been an alarming spike in fatalities. Crash data from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Criminal Justice Information Center indicates 1,083 people died from crashes on Michigan roads in 2020, a 10 percent increase over 2019 when 985 deaths were reported. In 2020, there were 200 speed-related fatalities on Michigan roadways compared to 185 in 2019, an 8 percent increase.

This effort is a wake-up call about the significance of traffic safety,” said Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. “Speed kills. This campaign has been a timely reminder about the need to educate motorists about the importance of obeying the speed limit and the value of enforcing the laws already on the books.

Preliminary numbers released by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) show that in addition to the speeding citations and speed-violation warnings, there were also 314 seat belt violation citations issued. Among motorists taken off the roads were 109 drivers arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) and 25 arrested for Operating Under the Influence of Drugs (OUID).

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Region 5 Office partnered with five other states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) as part of the “Great Lakes, High Stakes” campaign.

While getting someplace is sometimes a necessity, it's nice to be able to take a leisurely drive and enjoy the scenery. Keep scrolling to see Michigan's must-drive roads.

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Gas up the car, grab those road munchies and a roadtrip partner that you can trust, and head out on some of Michigan's most unique roads and routes. Make sure you take lots of photos and video!

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