The reporting of a destructive truck driver and the consequences he received have Michigan Department of Transportation officials pleased about “grass roots support for safety.”

John Batchelder, manager of the Newberry Transportation Center, said that a commercial truck driver was reported driving recklessly over a freshly painted centerline and traffic cones on a newly paved portion of US-2 near Epoufette June 10. Although stepped-up summer law enforcement by several agencies has been in place on the highway since Memorial Day weekend, it was citizens who reported the driver by cellular telephone that led to the eventual citation.

“Following the calls, he was stopped by the Michigan State Police and cited for the violations,” said Mr. Batchelder. “This is a pretty important story. For me, it is showing partnership between MDOT, the police, and the citizens. It’s a great grass-roots partnership.”

The tractor-trailer driver, Chris Edward Lane of Sparta, Tennessee, was charged with reckless driving and malicious destruction of property. He pleaded guilty August 10 to the malicious destruction of property (over $200 and less than $1,000), and was assessed a fine of $500, restitution of $900, six months probation, and a 30-day suspended jail sentence. The reckless driving charge was dismissed.

Mr. Batchelder said he’s seen plenty of times when there have been accidental incidents in road construction areas that have necessitated MDOT billing its insurance company for damages. “But to have someone tabbed for malicious destruction like that,” he said, “that’s one of the first times I’ve seen that. The people who called were probably afraid for their own safety.”

The increased summer law enforcement is part of a driver safety program for US-2 between Rapid River and St. Ignace, called Operation SABRE. The acronym refers to targeting those who are speeding, driving too aggressively, not using their seat belts, and to rural enforcement. With the related police presence continuing through mid-September, coming from 10 traffic agencies, the motoring public has benefited from safer driving conditions, Mr. Batchelder said. The additional patrols have been funded by a $45,000 federal grant.

Last year, five fatalities in 13 accidents were reported on the highway by the state police between January and September, with speeding and driver errors the primary culprit. Now, additional speed limit signage, 100,000 placemats in area restaurants, and radio announcements have been used to increase safety awareness.

Captain Myles McCormack, commander of the Michigan State Police 8th District (Upper Peninsula), said there has been only one fatality on US-2 since the program started, though he doesn’t have a current accident total. That fatality was the result of a driver falling asleep.

“The program has gone extremely well, in our opinion,” he said. “We’ve worked with county and local law enforcement departments and, to date (August 18), we’ve made more than 2,000 traffic stops and issued 1,800 citations. We believe that, at least in the short term, we’ve slowed traffic.”

Captain McCormack said speed studies would be conducted after the program to get more hard data on how much drivers have slowed down. During the fall, winter, and spring months, traffic patrols by units from St. Ignace, Newberry, Manistique, and Gladstone will monitor the highway at increased levels from past years during comparative months. The SABRE program will be funded for the next two to four summers.

“We’ve heard a lot of comments that most motorists are pleased with the increased police presence,” concluded Mr. Batchelder, “and that means a lot.”