Labor Day Traffic Fatalities Down This Year In Michigan

The preliminary reports are in and this Labor Day was safer on the roads than last year across the state of Michigan.

According to Michigan State Police, traffic fatalities decreased this Labor Day holiday weekend.

There were nine traffic deaths in nine separate traffic crashes during the 2016 Labor Day holiday weekend, compared to 12 traffic crashes and 15 deaths during the 2015 Labor Day holiday weekend.

“These numbers are preliminary and only reflect those fatalities reported to the MSP as of 1 p.m., Sept. 6, 2016,” stated Capt. Thomas Deasy, commander of the MSP Training Division in a statement. “For the safety of everyone on the road, the MSP continues to urge motorists not to drink and drive, to always use proper restraints and to avoid distractions behind the wheel.”

Only one fatality is known to have alcohol involved at this time, with five unknown and three where it was not. Two of the crashes were in Oakland County, one in Macomb and none in Wayne.

The time period for this report was the 2016 Labor Day holiday weekend which Michigan State Police say ran from 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, 2016.