Houghton Lake Troopers and Mother Nature Pair-Up to Reduce Year-To-Date Crashes on I-75

CRAWFORD COUNTY –   When determining their strategic plan for 2020, Troopers from the Houghton Lake Post identified the stretch of I-75 which runs through Crawford County as a hotspot for traffic crashes.  In fact, the area accounted for 189 crashes and 30 injuries in 2019.  
 
In an attempt to reduce these numbers, the post began an enforcement program involving a dedicated traffic enforcement detail, consisting of a full-time patrol assigned to that stretch of roadway.  Since the program began on January 19, the traffic enforcement detail has written 51 citations and given 94 verbal warnings. 
 
The data as of March 1st indicates our efforts are paying off.  As of that date, only 17 crashes and three injuries have been reported on that area of I-75.  After the first two months of 2019, 50 crashes and 9 injuries had been reported in the same area.   
 
F/Lt. Travis House, the Post Commander at Houghton Lake had this to say about the crash and injury reduction: “We are pleased to see our efforts making a real improvement in the safety of our roadways.  While the reduction in crashes in the first couple months of 2020 indicate our efforts are decreasing crashes, we also give Mother Nature some credit for giving us a little better weather during the first two months of this year.  We will remain committed to enforcement and visibility on I-75 in Crawford County, and will continue to monitor the crash data and evaluate our effectiveness going into the summer months.” 
 
As the state moves into the spring and summer travel seasons, the Houghton Lake Post will be requesting further traffic enforcement resources such as the Seventh District Hometown Security Team to help maximize the crash reduction effort.  The post’s goal is to reduce the yearly traffic crashes by 10% in 2020. 

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