Isabella County had 11 fatal traffic crashes in the calendar year of 2017.
This number - released Thursday with other data by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center - is up from four reported for the 2016 calendar year, or an increase of 175 percent from the year before.
The data is a local snapshot of the number of fatalities statewide from year to year.
Last year, there were 1,028 fatal traffic crashes statewide, slightly down from 1,064 in 2016.
“Attention must be paid when we see nearly half of all traffic crash fatalities involving alcohol or drugs,” said Michael Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. “This noteworthy change is causing great concern, and effective safety strategies to address this issue require a comprehensive approach in coordination with our local, county, state and federal partners.”
Gratiot and Clare counties both reported two traffic-related fatalities in 2017.
In 2016, Gratiot County reported two traffic crash fatalities while Clare County reported six.
There were 1,144 total crashes in Clare County, 1,585 in Gratiot County and 2,812 in Isabella County in 2017.
Numerous injuries and property damage resulted from the crashes.
Throughout the 2017 calendar year, there were 159 injuries and 983 property damage accidents in Clare County; 166 injuries and 1,414 property damage accidents in Gratiot County; and 397 injuries and 2,422 property damage accidents in Isabella County.
Statewide, there were:
• injuries: 79,724 in 2016 to 78,394 in 2017, down 2 percent;
• crashes: 312,172 in 2016 to 314,921 in 2017, up 1 percent; and
• serious injuries: 5,634 in 2016 to 6,084 in 2017, up 8 percent.
The OHSP will continue to allocate resources in the form of federal funding to improve our capabilities in the detection, apprehension, prosecution and treatment of impaired drivers.
“Clearly, our most basic safety countermeasures, focused on increasing seat belt use and reducing impaired driving, remain just as important now as they have ever been,” Prince said.