Police Ramp Up Efforts To Curtail Drunk Driving In Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Police are reminding residents looking to celebrate with alcohol this holiday season to have a designated driver when they get in the car. Through Jan. 2, 2024, the Arlington Heights Police Department is joining other agencies throughout the state to keep local roads safe as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Drive High, Get A DUI" campaigns.

In a partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation, which helps fund the campaigns through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AHPD will "show zero tolerance for alcohol- and drug-impaired driving to keep our roads safe and help ensure a happy holiday season."

According to the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a total of 13,384 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2021 in the United States. On average, officials said more than 10,000 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes each year from 2017 to 2021, with one person killed in a drunk-driving crash approximately every 45 minutes.

"These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired — by alcohol, cannabis or any other substance, whether legal or not — is potentially deadly and illegal behavior," AHPD said in a news release.

AHPD recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride-sharing service.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and call 911
• Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take their keys and make arrangements to get them home safely. They’ll thank you later.
• Remember to buckle up!