Sheriff Mark Curran announced the holiday season ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ traffic safety enforcement campaign begins Monday, December 18 and runs through January 2, 2018. Funding for this traffic safety campaign is made possible through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Administration and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Sheriff Mark Curran stated, “Beginning Monday, December 18 and continuing into 2018, motorists will see increased traffic safety enforcement. Deputies will focus on those driving impaired, distracted, or without a seat belt. If you plan to drink, plan for a safe ride home. Today, there are more transportation options than ever - find one you're comfortable with and use it.”
In 2015, 10,265 were killed in alcohol-related driving accidents, representing 29 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States, according to the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
If you choose to drive impaired, you not only risk your safety and that of others, but you will also face serious legal consequences. Convicted drunk or drug-impaired driving offenders often serve jail time, lose their driver’s license, are charged higher insurance rates, and pay dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, vehicle towing, and lost wages due to time off work.
The ultimate cost of impaired driving is causing a traffic crash which results in injury or death.
Please follow these tips to stay safe on the road this holiday season:
- If you will be drinking, arrange in advance for a cab, ride-sharing service or designated driver to take you home.
- If you become impaired, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi or ride-sharing service, or phone a sober friend or family member.
- If someone you know has been drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a safe way home.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1. Your actions could help save someone’s life.
- Buckle your seat belt, regardless of where you are seated. By law, all occupants, in all seating positions, must wear their seat belt.
End of Release.