Use these maps and tools to find out which judges — and courts — are more likely to pursue driving while intoxicated cases, rather than a lesser charge of driving while impaired.
Michigan had 26,700 drunk-driving arrests last year, half of which result in plea deals for impaired driving. Harsher penalties are far more common in west Michigan than in metro Detroit.
A crackdown on distracted driving this week underscores that many aren’t aware of Michigan’s new law banning holding a phone, police say. One driver was working on a laptop. Another drove for miles before noticing police.
Lawmakers push to ensure that drivers seeking damages from potholes on county roads have 120 days to file claims. The bills were filed the same day Bridge published stories showing how the system rarely reimburses motorists.
For $100, Michigan drivers could adorn their cars with blue ‘Great Lakes’ or black ‘Great Lake State’ plates under new Senate legislation. Money earned would go to fixing Michigan roads.
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan suggests the state should invest heavily in roads and power lines if it wants to jump-start stagnant population.
Bridge has investigated the system for reimbursing potholes, but it favors the state and local agencies. We know potholes are a big problem. Send us photos of the damages.
If you believe you’re eligible for compensation for highway-related repairs on Michigan roads and want to file a claim, here’s a rundown of the agencies that typically handle them.
Michigan has bad roads and a weak system to reimburse drivers for damages. There are plenty of easy solutions, like raising the $1,000 cap, extending the claims period. Is there political will to change?
Deteriorating roads cost drivers a total of $4.3 billion per year, but a reimbursement system for damages is skewed against drivers. Damage caps, deadlines and high burdens of proof mean most claims are denied.
Michigan’s new budget funds $5 million in research into a mileage-based tax to fund road repairs. The state will also seek federal grant funding for a pilot project.
The massive road project is slated to finish in September, ending years of traffic snarls. Less visible is an underground tunnel boring effort that avoided catastrophe when a silt pocket trapped the project’s boring machine.
Police say they are largely choosing to educate motorists rather than slap them with citations for the beefed-up distracted driving law that went into effect on June 30.
The rise in deadly crashes was highest in northern Michigan, but metro Detroit and the Thumb also saw jumps. Experts cite faster and more reckless driving. Look up deadly driving statistics in your area.
Michigan lawmakers included $10 million for two sections of sound walls along Interstate 75 near Troy after local residents worked for years to get relief. A statewide fix for noisy traffic could be much harder.
Just in time for travel on the long weekend, a new law goes into effect that prohibits driving while using a smartphone to talk, text, watch videos or scroll social media.
