Halloween Gives Sign of Safe Thanksgiving Travel

It turned out to be a safe and quiet Halloween season on the roadways, and there are hopes that’ll continue through the holidays.

A federal grant paid for extra police patrols during the Halloween weekend.

State police from the Negaunee post only made 2 OWI arrests that weekend, so they think people in the U.P. are getting the message.

There’s no grant money for more Thanksgiving patrols, but extra squad cars will be out anyway.

Sgt. Kevin Dowling says the Operation CARE Safe Streets patrols will be out during both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Local, county and state agencies team up for those patrols.

Although drinking and driving is becoming less and less socially acceptable, Sgt. Dowling thinks it’s not just that.

He feels the record number of Michigan residents buckling up is helping, too.

The latest word from the state Office of Highway Safety Planning was that 97% of Michigan drivers use seatbelts.

From year to year, about half of Michigan’s traffic deaths and injuries involve alcohol use.