(FOX 2) - Michigan State Police are increasing speed enforcement to address an alarming rise in speeding and fatal crashes.
The enforcement period will run from June 17-25 this year and will involve county and local police agencies across Michigan. The goal is to change risky-driving behaviors and save lives.
Speeding is responsible for a significant portion of traffic fatalities across the nation, accounting for one-fourth of such incidents.
Among the recent examples with tragic consequences was on I-96 after four men were killed in a crash after a Yukon lost control while speeding.
In 2021, there were 237 speed-related fatalities on Michigan roads, an 18.5% increase from 2020. Nationwide, in 2020, 11,258 fatalities involved crashes in which one or more drivers were speeding, an 18% increase over the 9,478 fatalities in 2019.
According to data from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, in 2021:
- 13.3% of unrestrained drivers involved in crashes were speeding.
- 10.2% of drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in crashes were speeding, which is higher than the overall speeding-driver rate of 5.2 percent in 2021.
- There were 24,555 speed-related crashes, which is a 10.3% increase from the 22,260 speed-related crashes in 2020.
"Speeding continues to be a critical issue in Michigan that leads to many needless crashes, serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways. These vital speed-enforcement periods help lessen the impact of those dangerous, impatient drivers." Katie Bower, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, said.
MORE: Four men in their 20s killed in deadly crash on I-96 after speeding Yukon loses control
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, local roads are more dangerous than highways for speeders. In 2020, 87 percent of all speeding-related traffic fatalities occurred on non-interstate roadways.
Recent insurance industry studies show that approximately 112,000 speeding tickets are issued each day, or about 41 million per year.