The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and law enforcement agencies throughout the state are ramping up patrols and reminding the public to buckle up and drive sober this Thanksgiving. Hundreds of enforcement zones and other enforcement patrols will be looking for seat belt law violators and impaired drivers through Dec. 2.
Stephane B. Seck-Birhame, IDOT’s bureau chief of Safety Programs and Engineering says buckling your seat belt is the law in Illinois – and your best defense if you’re in a crash. She suggests if you think you might drink or use drugs, plan to designate a sober driver so your and everyone else’s Thanksgiving holiday is safe and filled with memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
During the Thanksgiving holiday period in Illinois last year, IDOT reported 2,842 crashes, including 16 people killed in 16 crashes, six of which involved alcohol.
The increased traffic enforcement is made possible through federal funds administered by IDOT and supported by ISP and local law enforcement.
