Jail Time May Become Mandatory For Fleeing Michigan Police

We can all admit that when we see the blue and red lights flashing in our rearview mirrors we are overcome with some anxiety and adrenaline. We instantly start to think about what we could've done or what we forgot to do that would give the police a reason to pull them over. These are always tough situations to think through and sometimes the wrong decision is made.

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All drivers know that when you see emergency lights flashing and hear sirens that you need to pull over to the right side of the road and let the vehicle(s) through but sometimes you are the reason they have their lights on. The law states that we must pull over for the police in a reasonable distance that also feels safe for us. Some people don't always abide by this law.

There are many people who have committed road infractions and have taken off from the police for whatever reason. One of the main reasons that they would do this is because they already have outstanding warrants for another crime, they allegedly committed. Regardless of why they choose to takeoff, they are putting themselves, the police, and bystanders in danger.

Have You Or Anyone You Know Ever Been In A High Speed Police Chase?

Many states have decided to implement no police chase laws which indicate that the police won't engage in high-speed chases to keep the roads safe and they will just catch up with that driver at another time. Michigan is not one of those states as a whole but leave that up to the individual departments/cities to decide.

Michigan lawmakers want to make it mandatory that anyone who flees from the police will receive jail time. MLive reports:

Under the legislation, mandatory minimums for fleeing and eluding police officers would start at 182 days in jail but continue to escalate up to five years in prison if the crime results in someone’s death. Bill sponsor state Rep. Rylee Linting, R-Wyandotte, said these mandatory minimums are needed to deter people from fleeing police. She said fleeing police puts officers, the public and the person fleeing in a deadly situation.

As the number of high-speed chases in the state of Michigan continue to increase so does the number of deaths during these chases. 60 people between 2017-2021 lost their lives during high-speed police chases in Michigan. They want to make the state safer and also want to hand down consequences because those who fled police don't see jail time often.

The consequences become more severe if you're a repeat offender or if the chase results in a crash and if that crash results in the death of anyone. These are the only circumstances that can change the consequences, but they are the most notable.