Troopers from the Michigan State Police Wayland Post will be on extra patrol through the Memorial Day holiday weekend looking for unbuckled drivers and passengers. The goal is to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities when there are more vehicles out on the Michigan roadways.

The official Memorial Day enforcement period begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 27. Last year, 15 fatal traffic crashes resulted in 19 deaths over the Memorial Day weekend, the most fatalities over the Memorial Day holiday weekend since 2014.

“Three out of four people ejected from a vehicle in a crash will die,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Wearing a seat belt is the simplest thing you can do to reduce injuries and save lives. Buckle up for the ones who will miss you - every trip, every time.” Seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. Buckling up can reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash by 45 percent.