Traffic crashes, fatalities increased in Michigan in 2024, state police say
Traffic crashes and fatalities are on the rise in Michigan, according to Michigan State Police and the Office of Highway Safety Planning.
A study released by MSP on Tuesday found that overall crashes increased in 2024 when compared to 2023. The department also found a "profound increase" in work-zone fatalities (17% increase) and crashes involving "vulnerable roadway users," including bicyclists (20% increase) and motorcyclists (4% increase).
"We don't like to sit in traffic, but people need to start paying attention to those work zone speeds because that is their office. And so they have to be able to do their job safely in order to go home," said Michigan State Police Lieutenant Ashley Miller.
Miller said in many cases, people continue to drive distracted.
"They either have their phone in their hand. There's other distractions in the car that may take their eyes off the road, and they're just not paying attention to what they're supposed to be doing," she said.
Lance Binoniemi with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Administration said workers already take measures to keep their teams safe.
"Obviously, the workers have a part of this; they go through safety training every single morning. They know what to kind of look at when they're on the job site, what jobs are a little bit more dangerous than others," said Binoniemi.
He echoed state police in that one of the best ways to avoid these preventable deaths is by paying attention to the road.
"I don't think people are taking a second to consider the lives that they are putting at risk," he said. "They want to go home to those families every single day. Let's try to help them do that and respect the work that they do."