LITH Police To Up Enforcement Efforts Over The Holidays

LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL — Officers with the Lake in the Hills Police Department will be out in full force starting Friday and continuing into the New Year as part of a special holiday enforcement campaign meant to keep drunken drivers off the road.

The local police department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of the "Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Drive High. Get a DUI" campaigns, according to a news release from the Lake in the Hills Police Department.

Officers across Illinois will be stepping up enforcement efforts through Jan. 2.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s fatality analysis reporting system, in 2020, a total of 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, with one person killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in 2020.

Authorities are reminding residents to follow these tips to stay safe over the holidays:

• Designate a sober driver or use a ride-sharing service to get home safely
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and contact 911
• • Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to getthem home safely. They’ll thank you later
• Always buckle up

The holiday enforcement campaign is administered by IDOT with federal highway safety funds managed by NHTSA.